Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

अवतारयामास हि मां पृथिव्यां धरणीधर । मया वै युवयोर्वाक्यादवतारः कृतो भुवि

Transliteration

avatārayāmāsa hi māṃ pṛthivyāṃ dharaṇīdhara | mayā vai yuvayorvākyādavatāraḥ kṛto bhuvi

Translation

ഹേ ധരണീധര! അവൻ തന്നെയാണ് എന്നെ ഭൂമിയിൽ അവതരിപ്പിച്ചത്. സത്യമായി, നിങ്ങളിരുവരുടെയും വാക്കിനാലേ എന്റെ ഭുവിയിലെ അവതാരം സഫലമായി.

Word by Word

• अवतारयामास: caused to descend/brought down
• अवतारयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-तॄ (धातु) [णिच् causative]
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/हेतु-भाव

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• पृथिव्याम्: on the earth
• पृथिव्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• धरणीधर: O bearer of the earth
• धरणीधर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; ‘धरणीधर’ = धरणीं धरति इति (bearer of the earth)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• युवयोः: of you two
• युवयोः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), द्विवचन

• वाक्यात्: from (your) word/command
• वाक्यात्: Apadana (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• अवतारः: descent/incarnation
• अवतारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवतार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृतः: done/accomplished
• कृतः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; कृ-धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (अवतारः)

• भुवि: on earth/in the world
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Gaṅgā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (earthly descent)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viṣṇu

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṅgā’s torrent descends from the heavens toward earth; Śiva’s mediation is implied; the earth receives the stream as a sanctifying ribbon across landscapes.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Viṣṇu (Dharaṇīdhara)
• Śaṅkara (implied as the other of ‘you two’)
• Bhagīratha (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic events in Purāṇas unfold through divine sanction—sacred waters descend for the welfare of the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the pan-Indian sanctity of Gaṅgā-tirthas by narrating her divinely authorized descent, within the Revā Khaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it explains the authorized ‘avatāra’ (descent) as a theological foundation for tirtha reverence.