Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा कौतूहलं तत्र व्याकुलीकृतमानसम् । वित्रस्तमनसो भूत्वा भयात्सर्वे समास्थिताः

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā kautūhalaṃ tatra vyākulīkṛtamānasam | vitrastamanaso bhūtvā bhayātsarve samāsthitāḥ

Translation

അവിടെ ഉണ്ടായ വിചിത്ര കലഹം കണ്ടപ്പോൾ അവരുടെ മനസ്സുകൾ വ്യാകുലമായി. ഭയത്താൽ ഹൃദയം വിറച്ചു, എല്ലാവരും അവിടെയേയ്ക്ക് നിശ്ചലമായി നിന്നു.

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial to main action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), धातु: दृश्, अर्थे: ‘seeing/having seen’

• कौतूहलम्: curiosity, wonder
• कौतूहलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतूहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc. sg.)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of place)

• व्याकुलीकृतमानसम्: with mind made agitated
• व्याकुलीकृतमानसम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याकुलीकृत + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (कर्मधारय-भावः) ‘व्याकुलीकृतं मानसः यस्य’ इति; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (qualifying neuter noun)

• वित्रस्तमनसः: frightened-minded (they)
• वित्रस्तमनसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वित्रस्त + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष ‘वित्रस्तं मनः येषाम्’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine Nom. pl.; used for persons)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund), धातु: भू

• भयात्: from fear
• भयात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Ablative sg.)

• सर्वे: all (of them)
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine Nom. pl.)

• समास्थिताः: stood/assembled
• समास्थिताः: Kriya (Main predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; धातु: स्था, उपसर्ग: सम्+आ; अर्थ: ‘stood/assembled/settled’

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration; specific speaker not explicit in this snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha milieu

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A riverside or forest-āśrama scene: pilgrims/attendants suddenly halt, eyes widened; wind stills; light shifts as a divine assembly approaches unseen.

Characters & Entities

• Assembly participants (implicit)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In the presence of the divine, ordinary confidence can dissolve into awe; humility prepares one for grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa tīrtha setting where a divine event causes wonder and stillness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse portrays the inner response (awe, restraint) appropriate to sacred manifestation.