Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

तथेति चोक्तो देवेशो भारग्राममुपागतः । ध्यात्वा वनस्पतीः सर्वा इदं वचनमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

tatheti cokto deveśo bhāragrāmamupāgataḥ | dhyātvā vanaspatīḥ sarvā idaṃ vacanamabravīt

Translation

‘തഥാസ്തു’ എന്നു പറഞ്ഞ് ദേവേശൻ ഭാരഗ്രാമത്തിൽ എത്തി. സർവ്വ വനംസ്പതികളെ ധ്യാനിച്ച് ഇങ്ങനെ വചനം അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रत्युत्तर/क्रियाविशेषण) = 'so/thus'

• इति: (saying) 'thus'
• इति: Vacana-prayojaka (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण/quotative particle)

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

• उक्तः: (was) spoken to
• उक्तः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मणि भावः

• देवेशः: Lord of the gods
• देवेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानाम् ईशः)

• भारग्रामम्: the load-heap/collection of burdens
• भारग्रामम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार + ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (भारस्य ग्रामः/समूहः)

• उपागतः: arrived/approached
• उपागतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + आ + गम् (धातु) → उपागत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे 'having approached/arrived'

• ध्यात्वा: having meditated
• ध्यात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु) → ध्यात्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive) = 'having meditated'

• वनस्पतीः: trees
• वनस्पतीः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वनस्पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with implied 'वनस्पतीः' as feminine by sense; alternatively read as सर्वान् with masculine)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वचनम्: speech, words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhāragrāma

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The disguised Lord travels to Bhāragrāma; he pauses in a grove, eyes half-closed in meditation, surrounded by diverse trees subtly leaning inward as if listening.

Characters & Entities

• Deveśa (Śiva)
• Bhāragrāma
• Vanaspatī (trees)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places and even forests participate in dharma; contemplation precedes right action and right speech.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bhāragrāma is introduced as a significant locale within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it depicts dhyāna (contemplation) as a preparatory spiritual practice.