Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

दृश्यस्वरूपश्च हुताशनस्त्वं स्पर्शस्वरूपं भवतः समीरे । शब्दादिकं ते नभसि स्वरूपं मन्तव्यरूपो मनसि प्रभो त्वम्

Transliteration

dṛśyasvarūpaśca hutāśanastvaṃ sparśasvarūpaṃ bhavataḥ samīre | śabdādikaṃ te nabhasi svarūpaṃ mantavyarūpo manasi prabho tvam

Translation

ഹേ പ്രഭോ! ദൃശ്യസ്വരൂപമായി നീ ഹുതാശനൻ (അഗ്നി); സ്പർശസ്വരൂപമായി നീ സമീരത്തിൽ (വായുവിൽ) നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു. ശബ്ദാദികളുടെ സൂക്ഷ്മമേഖല ആകാശത്തിൽ നിന്റെ സ്വരൂപം; മനസ്സിൽ, ഹേ പ്രഭോ, നീയേ ധ്യാനാർഹൻ—മന്തവ്യ—രൂപം.

Word by Word

• दृश्यस्वरूपः: the form of the visible
• दृश्यस्वरूपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृश्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (दृश्यस्य स्वरूपः)

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

• हुताशनः: fire (the eater of offerings)
• हुताशनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हुत + अशन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (हुतं अश्नाति इति = fire)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• स्पर्शस्वरूपम्: the essence of touch
• स्पर्शस्वरूपम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्श + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (स्पर्शस्य स्वरूपम्)

• भवतः: of you (hon.)
• भवतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग

• समीरे: in the wind/air
• समीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समीरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शब्दादिकम्: sound and the rest (subtle elements)
• शब्दादिकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द + आदि + क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (शब्दादि-समूहः)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• नभसि: in the sky/ether
• नभसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्वरूपम्: form/essence
• स्वरूपम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मन्तव्यरूपः: the form of what is to be thought
• मन्तव्यरूपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्तव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; मन् धातु + तव्य) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (मन्तव्यस्य रूपः = that which is to be conceived)

• मनसि: in the mind
• मनसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रभो: O Lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

A devotee/sage praising the Supreme Lord (Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa) in Revā Khaṇḍa context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogic pilgrim sits on Revā’s bank: a small fire before him (agni/visibility), wind ripples the river (touch), vast sky above (sound-field/ether), and a luminous deity-form appears within a halo at the heart/mind as the dhyeya.

Characters & Entities

• Hutāśana (Agni)
• Samīra (Vāyu)
• Nabhas/Ākāśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Perceiving the world correctly means recognizing the Divine as the basis of sensory experience and as the inner focus of contemplation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

It sits within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s Narmadā-oriented sacred narrative, but this verse is primarily cosmological rather than site-specific.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated; it recommends contemplative practice—seeing the Lord within elements, senses, and mind.