Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

योजनानां शतं साग्रं निराहारो गतोदकः । प्रस्थितो देवदेवेन स्वप्नान्ते वारितः किल

Transliteration

yojanānāṃ śataṃ sāgraṃ nirāhāro gatodakaḥ | prasthito devadevena svapnānte vāritaḥ kila

Translation

അവൻ നൂറ് യോജനത്തിലധികം ദൂരം, ആഹാരമില്ലാതെ ജലം തീർന്ന നിലയിലും പുറപ്പെട്ടു; എന്നാൽ പറയപ്പെടുന്നത്, സ്വപ്നാന്തത്തിൽ ദേവദേവൻ അവനെ തടഞ്ഞു (മാർഗം തിരിച്ച്) നയിച്ചു എന്നതാണ്।

Word by Word

• योजनानाम्: of yojanas (leagues)
• योजनानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक

• साग्रम्: with an excess (more than)
• साग्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (शतम्) अर्थः ‘अधिकं/सहितम्’

• निराहारः: without food
• निराहारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः; विशेषण (सः)

• गत-उदकः: having given up water (waterless)
• गत-उदकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (गम् धातु; कृदन्त) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः: ‘गतं उदकं यस्य’ = जल-त्यागी/जलवर्जितः

• प्रस्थितः: having set out
• प्रस्थितः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + स्था (धातु; कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-भावे ‘प्रस्थितः’ = ‘departed’

• देवदेवेन: by the God of gods
• देवदेवेन: Karana/Agent (Instrument/कर्ता-निर्देशक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ-निर्देशः (agent in passive sense)

• स्वप्नान्ते: at the end of a dream
• स्वप्नान्ते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वप्न + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘स्वप्नस्य अन्ते’

• वारितः: was stopped/forbidden
• वारितः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वारि (वृ/वार् धातु ‘to restrain/forbid’; कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘was restrained/forbidden’

• किल: indeed/it is said
• किल: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) — प्रसिद्ध्यर्थ/श्रुत्यर्थ

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha network (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone pilgrim traverses a vast landscape, emaciated yet steadfast, water-skin empty; at night he sleeps under a tree and a luminous divine presence appears in a dream-cloud, gesturing ‘stop/return’.

Characters & Entities

• Deva-deva (Lord of gods—contextually Śiva or a supreme deity)
• tapas (fasting)
• yātrā (journey)
• Revā region (contextual)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere austerity in pilgrimage draws divine guidance; the deity protects and directs the devotee, even through dreams.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Revā Khaṇḍa Sun-related narrative; the exact tīrtha is part of the unfolding account rather than named here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nirāhāra (fasting) and enduring hardship during yātrā are depicted as ascetic observances; divine dream-communication is presented as a sign of grace.