Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

वाराहमीशानवरोऽप्यतोऽसौ रूपं समास्थाय जगद्विधाता । नष्टे त्रिलोकेऽर्णवतोयमग्ने विमार्गितोयौघमयेऽन्तरात्मा

Transliteration

vārāhamīśānavaro'pyato'sau rūpaṃ samāsthāya jagadvidhātā | naṣṭe triloke'rṇavatoyamagne vimārgitoyaughamaye'ntarātmā

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് ജഗദ്വിധാതാവും ഈശാനനേക്കാൾ പരമനുമായ ആ പ്രഭു വരാഹരൂപം സ്വീകരിച്ചു. ത്രിലോകം നശിച്ച് സമുദ്രജലത്തിൽ മുങ്ങിയപ്പോൾ, അന്തരാത്മസ്വരൂപനായ ഭഗവാൻ ആ ജലപ്രവാഹത്തിനുള്ളിൽ നഷ്ടപ്പെട്ടതിനെ അന്വേഷിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• वाराहम्: boar (as boar-)
• वाराहम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (रूपम् इति)

• ईशानवरः: the superior of Īśāna (Śiva)
• ईशानवरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ईशानस्य वरः = Śiva’s superior/choice)

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; अप्यर्थ (even/also)

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Hetu (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/तस्मात्-अर्थ (therefore/from this)

• असौ: that one (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• समास्थाय: having assumed
• समास्थाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/absolutive); ‘समास्थाय’ = having assumed/taken up

• जगद्विधाता: creator/ordainer of the world
• जगद्विधाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + विधातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जगतः विधाता)

• नष्टे: when (it was) destroyed
• नष्टे: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नश् (धातु) → नष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• त्रिलोके: in the three worlds
• त्रिलोके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (three worlds)

• अर्णवतोयम्: oceanic water
• अर्णवतोयम्: Adhikarana/Context (Descriptive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक) + तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (अर्णववत् तोयम् = ocean-like water)

• अग्ने: O Agni
• अग्ने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• विमार्गित: searched for
• विमार्गित: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + मार्ग् (धातु) → विमार्गित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (searched out)

• तोयौघमये: in/within the mass of waters
• तोयौघमये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक) + ओघ (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तोयौघेन मयः = consisting of a flood of water)

• अन्तरात्मा: the inner self
• अन्तरात्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर् (अव्यय/उपसर्ग) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (अन्तरः आत्मा)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) [deduced]

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Lord as Varāha emerging over the pralaya ocean, searching within the waters as the Inner Self; distant remnants of the three worlds dissolved; a sense of vast, dark-blue flood pierced by divine radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Varāha
• Īśāna
• Triloka
• Pralaya (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In cosmic crisis (pralaya), the Supreme assumes saving forms; divine compassion restores order even after dissolution.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is primarily avatāra-narrative; within Revā-khaṇḍa it supports the sacred storytelling connected to the Narmadā region rather than naming a single site here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it introduces the Varāha episode as a dharmic exemplar of protection.