Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा पञ्च वराहान्वै पौरुषे महति स्थितः । आप्लवन्नर्मदातोये श्राद्धं कृत्वा यथाविधि

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā pañca varāhānvai pauruṣe mahati sthitaḥ | āplavannarmadātoye śrāddhaṃ kṛtvā yathāvidhi

Translation

അഞ്ചു വരാഹങ്ങളെ ദർശിച്ച്, ആ മഹത്തായ പൗരുഷവ്രതത്തിൽ സ്ഥിരനായി, നർമദാജലത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത്, വിധിപ്രകാരം ശ്രാദ്ധം നടത്തണം।

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययभाव)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याविशेषण; (indeclinable numeral used adjectivally)

• वराहान्: boars (Varāhas)
• वराहान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis/indeed)

• पौरुषे: in Pauruṣa (place/region)
• पौरुषे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• महति: great, large
• महति: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; पौरुषे इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• स्थितः: standing/being situated
• स्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → स्थित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• आप्लवन्: bathed/immersed
• आप्लवन्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√प्लु (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नर्मदा: of the Narmadā
• नर्मदा: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• तोये: in the water
• तोये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासः (नर्मदा-तोये)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययभाव)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• यथा: according to
• यथा: Prayojaka (Manner/रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण ('according as')

• विधि: the prescribed rule
• विधि: Prayojaka (Manner/रीति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावसमासः (यथा-विधि = as per rule) — अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from adhyāya context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pañca-Varāha-darśana with Revā-snānā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims before five Varāha icons/shrines; after darśana they descend steps to the Narmadā, perform snāna, then a śrāddha setup with darbha, piṇḍa, and offerings on the riverbank.

Characters & Entities

• Pañca-Varāha
• Narmadā
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is completed by disciplined observance: darśana, sacred bathing, and dharmic rites for ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā tīrtha region associated with the Pañca-Varāha manifestations.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana of Pañca-Varāha, immersion (snāna) in Narmadā waters, and performance of śrāddha as per vidhi.