Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

धन्वदंष्ट्रां करालाग्रां बिभ्रच्च पृथिवीमिमाम् । स एव पञ्चमः प्रोक्तो वाराहो मुक्तिदायकः

Transliteration

dhanvadaṃṣṭrāṃ karālāgrāṃ bibhracca pṛthivīmimām | sa eva pañcamaḥ prokto vārāho muktidāyakaḥ

Translation

ഭയങ്കരവും മൂർച്ചയുള്ള അഗ്രദന്തങ്ങൾ ധരിച്ചു ഈ ഭൂമിയെയേ ഉയർത്തി ധരിച്ച അതേ വരാഹൻ ‘പഞ്ചമൻ’ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധൻ—മുക്തി നൽകുന്ന വരാഹരൂപൻ.

Word by Word

• धन्वदंष्ट्राम्: having bow-like tusks
• धन्वदंष्ट्राम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन्वत् + दंष्ट्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (धन्वती दंष्ट्रा यस्याः/यस्य)

• करालाग्राम्: with a fearsome tip/front
• करालाग्राम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कराल + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (करालम् अग्रं यस्याः)

• बिभ्रत्: bearing, holding
• बिभ्रत्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), परस्मैपदी; प्रथमा-एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग (कर्तरि)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पृथिवीम्: the earth
• पृथिवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इमाम्: this
• इमाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (demonstrative)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• पञ्चमः: the fifth
• पञ्चमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (ordinal)

• प्रोक्तः: is said/called
• प्रोक्तः: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (said/called)

• वाराहः: the Boar (Varāha)
• वाराहः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मुक्तिदायकः: bestower of liberation
• मुक्तिदायकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्ति + दायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मुक्तिं ददाति इति)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing narrative context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrthas (general frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Colossal Varāha with fearsome, sharp tusks lifts Bhūdevī/Earth from the depths; cosmic waters swirl; gods watch in reverent astonishment; aura of liberation radiates from the boar-form.

Characters & Entities

• Varāha
• Pṛthivī (Earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The deity who rescues the world also grants ultimate rescue—mokṣa; cosmic protection and personal liberation are linked.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the glory of the Varāha-associated tīrtha introduced in the preceding line within Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the focus is theological—Varāha as muktidāyaka.