Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

ततोऽद्राक्षं समुद्रान्ते महदावर्तसंकुलाम् । उद्यत्तरंगसलिलां फेनपुञ्जाट्टहासिनीम्

Transliteration

tato'drākṣaṃ samudrānte mahadāvartasaṃkulām | udyattaraṃgasalilāṃ phenapuñjāṭṭahāsinīm

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ഞാൻ സമുദ്രതീരത്ത് മഹാപ്രവാഹം കണ്ടു; മഹത്തായ ആവർത്തങ്ങളാൽ അത് കലങ്ങിയിരുന്നു. തിരകൾ ഉയർന്നു പൊങ്ങുമ്പോൾ, നുരക്കൂട്ടങ്ങൾ അട്ടഹാസിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ തോന്നി।

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Temporal locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb; अर्थे: अनन्तरम् (thereafter)

• adrākṣam: I saw
• adrākṣam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; रूपम्: अद्राक्षम् = I saw

• samudra-ante: at the ocean’s edge
• samudra-ante: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samudra (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (समुद्रस्य अन्ते) = at the end/shore of the ocean

• mahat-āvarta-saṃkulām: crowded with huge whirlpools
• mahat-āvarta-saṃkulām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक) + āvarta (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃkula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (महद्भिः आवर्तैः संकुला) = crowded with great whirlpools; विशेषणम् (नदीम्/ताम्)

• udyatta-raṅga-salilām: with surging wave-waters
• udyatta-raṅga-salilām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: udyatta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + raṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + salila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (उद्यत्तैः तरङ्गैः सलिलं यस्याः/यत्र) = with water of rising waves; विशेषणम्

• phena-puñja-aṭṭa-hāsinīm: as if loudly laughing with foam-heaps
• phena-puñja-aṭṭa-hāsinīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: phena (प्रातिपदिक) + puñja (प्रातिपदिक) + aṭṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + hāsinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (फेनपुञ्जैः अट्टहासिनी इव) = as if laughing loudly with heaps of foam; विशेषणम्

Speaker

A narrator-sage addressing a king

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-samudra-saṅgama (implied)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the ocean’s rim, the river-mouth boils with vast whirlpools; waves rear up; foam heaps appear like laughing faces—an awe-filled, almost sentient seascape.

Characters & Entities

• Samudra (ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Nature’s overwhelming power mirrors saṃsāra’s turbulence, prompting discernment and the search for a safe passage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The imagery prepares for river-centric māhātmya (Revā/Narmadā context), but this verse itself does not name a tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.