Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

श्रुत्वा तु गरुडेनोक्तं देवीवृत्तचतुष्टयम् । प्रसन्ना संमुखी भूत्वा वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह

Transliteration

śrutvā tu garuḍenoktaṃ devīvṛttacatuṣṭayam | prasannā saṃmukhī bhūtvā vākyametaduvāca ha

Translation

ഗരുഡൻ പറഞ്ഞ ദേവിയുടെ ചതുര്വിധ വൃത്താന്തം കേട്ടപ്പോൾ ദേവി പ്രസന്നയായി; നേരെ തിരിഞ്ഞ് അവൾ ഈ വാക്കുകൾ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) — 'having heard'

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — 'then/indeed/but'

• गरुडेन: by Garuḍa
• गरुडेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गरुड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — 'by Garuḍa'

• उक्तम्: spoken
• उक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — 'spoken/said' (qualifies following object)

• देवी: of the goddess
• देवी: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — 'of the goddess' (in compound relation)

• वृत्त: account/episode
• वृत्त: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — 'conduct/story/episode' (in compound relation)

• चतुष्टयम्: a set of four
• चतुष्टयम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुष्टय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — 'set of four'

• प्रसन्ना: pleased
• प्रसन्ना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — 'pleased/serene'

• संमुखी: facing
• संमुखी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संमुखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — 'facing (towards)/in front'

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भू (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) — 'having become'

• वाक्यम्: words
• वाक्यम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — 'speech/words'

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — 'this' (qualifies वाक्यम्)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — 'said/spoke'

• ह: indeed
• ह: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात, कथनप्रत्यय/स्मरणार्थ) — 'indeed/for emphasis'

Speaker

Narrator (contextually within the Purāṇic dialogue)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience within the frame (implied); immediate listener in-scene: Garuḍa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Garuḍa recites the fourfold account; the Goddess, pleased, turns to face him—eye contact and blessing gesture—about to speak.

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa
• Devī (Kanakeśvarī/Śrī Cāmuṇḍā in the following verse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere praise and truthful recounting of the Goddess’s greatness culminate in divine grace and direct response.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly the Revā Khaṇḍa setting is upheld, where devotional speech (stuti) is presented as efficacious within the sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; the implied practice is stotra-recitation leading to divine favor.