Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

तद्देवस्य वचः श्रुत्वा नष्टास्ते बटवो नृप । गुरोस्तु पश्यतो राजन्धावमाना दिशो दश

Transliteration

taddevasya vacaḥ śrutvā naṣṭāste baṭavo nṛpa | gurostu paśyato rājandhāvamānā diśo daśa

Translation

ഹേ നൃപാ! ദേവന്റെ വചനം ശ്രവിച്ച ഉടനെ ആ ബടുക്കൾ അപ്രത്യക്ഷരായി; ഗുരു നോക്കി നിൽക്കേ, ഹേ രാജൻ, അവർ പത്തു ദിക്കുകളിലേക്കും ഓടിപ്പോയി।

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण ‘वचः’ इत्यस्य

• देवस्य: of the god
• देवस्य: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• वचः: speech/words
• वचः: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having heard’

• नष्टाः: vanished
• नष्टाः: Kriyā (Predicate state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √नश्)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; ‘gone/vanished’ (predicate)

• ते: they/those
• ते: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• बटवः: the young brahmacārins/boys
• बटवः: Karta (Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बटु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8), एकवचन

• गुरोः: of the teacher
• गुरोः: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थे

• पश्यतः: while (he) was watching
• पश्यतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Circumstantial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश्यत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √दृश्)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; ‘while (he) was seeing’

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8), एकवचन

• धावमाना: running
• धावमाना: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धाव (धातु)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (आत्मनेपदी), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; ‘running’ (agreeing with ‘diśaḥ’)

• दिशः: directions
• दिशः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• दश: ten
• दश: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन्/दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, अव्ययवत्/अविकारी; ‘ten’ (qualifying ‘diśaḥ’)

Speaker

Narrative speaker not explicit in excerpt (addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A guru watches as frightened brahmacārin boys scatter and vanish, running in all ten directions, as an unseen divine command reverberates in the air near a riverine hermitage.

Characters & Entities

• Deva
• Guru
• Baṭus

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When conscience fails, fear arises; dharma is upheld by truthful commitment, not by fleeing consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Narmadā-context narrative, though it focuses on the students’ reaction rather than praising a tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the immediate outcome of the announced vow-enforcement.