Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा तत्र महाभागं भृगुं वल्मीकवत्स्थितम् । उवाच देवी देवेशं किमिदं दृश्यते प्रभो

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā tatra mahābhāgaṃ bhṛguṃ valmīkavatsthitam | uvāca devī deveśaṃ kimidaṃ dṛśyate prabho

Translation

അവിടെ വൽമീകത്തിനുള്ളിൽ ഇരിക്കുന്നവനെപ്പോലെ നിലകൊണ്ട മഹാഭാഗൻ ഭൃഗുവിനെ കണ്ട ദേവി ദേവേശ്വരനോട് പറഞ്ഞു— “പ്രഭോ, ഇതെന്ത് അത്ഭുത ദൃശ്യം?”

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त/क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund): ‘having seen’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (indeclinable adverb of place: there)

• महाभागम्: greatly fortunate/noble
• महाभागम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महā + भाग (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् भागः यस्य) (Masculine, Accusative, Singular; ‘great-fortuned’)

• भृगुम्: Bhṛgu
• भृगुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृगु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• वल्मीकवत्स्थितम्: standing like an anthill
• वल्मीकवत्स्थितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वल्मीक + वत् + स्थित (स्था धातु, क्त/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; उपमान-तत्पुरुषः (वल्मीकवत् + स्थितम्); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Masculine, Accusative, Singular; PPP used adjectivally)

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Liṭ, 3rd person, singular, parasmaipada)

• देवी: the Goddess
• देवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• देवेशम्: to the Lord of the gods
• देवेशम्: Sampradāna/Addressed (सम्प्रदान/सम्बोधन-लक्ष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + ईश (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानाम् ईशम्) (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम (Interrogative pronoun, Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (Demonstrative pronoun, Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• दृश्यते: is seen/appears
• दृश्यते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive) (Laṭ, 3rd person, singular, ātmanepada; passive)

• प्रभो: O Lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

Speaker

Gaurī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīra (contextual)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Umā and Shiva in celestial presence observe a sage nearly engulfed by an anthill; Umā gestures in inquiry, eyes widened in wonder; the sage remains unmoving.

Characters & Entities

• Bhṛgu
• Gaurī (Pārvatī)
• Īśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tapas can appear outwardly strange, yet it signals deep inward absorption that invites reverence and inquiry.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa (Narmadā/Revā sacred region) within the Āvantya Khaṇḍa, framing the narrative in Revā’s tīrtha landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it introduces the sight of an ascetic and begins the explanatory dialogue.