Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

ततो धिष्णिः पावकेन्द्रो देवेनोक्तो महात्मना । निर्दहेमान्महाघोरान्नार्मदेय महासुरान्

Transliteration

tato dhiṣṇiḥ pāvakendro devenokto mahātmanā | nirdahemānmahāghorānnārmadeya mahāsurān

Translation

അപ്പോൾ മഹാത്മാവായ ദേവന്റെ ആജ്ഞപ്രകാരം ധിഷ്ണി—പാവകേന്ദ്രനായ അഗ്നിദേവൻ—അത്യന്തം ഘോരമായ നർമദേയ മഹാസുരന്മാരെ ദഹിപ്പാൻ തുടങ്ങി.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनन्तरवाचक

• धिष्णिः: Dhiṣṇi (Agni)
• धिष्णिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धिष्णि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अग्निदेवस्य नाम (proper noun)

• पावकेन्द्रः: lord of fire
• पावकेन्द्रः: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावक (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पावकानाम् इन्द्रः / पावकस्य इन्द्रः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; धिष्णेः विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• देवेन: by the god (Viṣṇu)
• देवेन: Karta (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• उक्तः: having been told
• उक्तः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘told/commanded’

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषणं (देवेन)

• निर्दहेम्: I shall burn / burn (them)
• निर्दहेम्: Kriyā (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर् + दह् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative); परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; (आज्ञार्थे)

• महाघोरान्: very terrible
• महाघोरान्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (महान् घोरः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषणं (महासुरान्)

• नार्मदेय: belonging to Narmadā region
• नार्मदेय: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक) + एय (तद्धित)
• Form: तद्धितान्त विशेषण (नर्मदायाः सम्बन्धी); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन (महासुरान् इति अन्वय)

• महासुरान्: great demons
• महासुरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (पूर्वपद) + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (महान् असुरः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Āvantya-khaṇḍa style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agni (Dhishṇi/Pāvaka) receives command and expands into a roaring conflagration sweeping through ranks of fearsome asuras associated with the Narmadā region.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Pāvaka/Dhiṣṇi)
• Deva (unspecified)
• Narmadā
• Mahāsuras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine power protects dharma and sacred regions; when guided by the Devas, destructive forces are purified and removed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā (Revā) sacred region is the implied locus, central to Revā-khaṇḍa’s tīrtha-glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed in this verse; it is narrative praise of divine intervention around the Revā region.