Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तावद्धिन्ध्यगिरेर्मध्ये दानवो बलदर्पितः । मयो नामेति विख्यातो गुहावासी तपश्चरन्

Transliteration

tāvaddhindhyagirermadhye dānavo baladarpitaḥ | mayo nāmeti vikhyāto guhāvāsī tapaścaran

Translation

അപ്പോൾ വിന്ധ്യപർവതങ്ങളുടെ നടുവിൽ ബലദർപ്പത്തിൽ മദിച്ച ‘മയ’ എന്ന പേരിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധനായ ദാനവൻ ഗുഹാവാസിയായി തപസ്സു ചെയ്തു കൊണ്ടിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• तावत्: so long; then
• तावत्: Adhikarana (Temporal/Context)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (काल/परिमाणवाचक अव्यय) — ‘so long/then’

• धिन्ध्यगिरेः: of the Vindhya mountain
• धिन्ध्यगिरेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धिन्ध्यगिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — ‘of the Vindhya-mountain’ (धिन्ध्य + गिरि)

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — locative ‘in the middle’

• दानवः: a demon (Dānava)
• दानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• बलदर्पितः: proud of strength
• बलदर्पितः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बल + दर्पित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — विशेषण; ‘strength-proud’ (बल-हेतु दर्पितः)

• मयः: Maya
• मयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — नाम

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Appositional/Name marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (नामनिर्देशक) — ‘by name’

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक)

• विख्यातः: renowned
• विख्यातः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ख्या (धातु) → विख्यात (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; ‘renowned/known’

• गुहावासी: dweller in a cave
• गुहावासी: Karta (Appositional to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुहा + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘cave-dweller’ (गुहायां वासी)

• तपःचरन्: performing austerities
• तपःचरन्: Karta (Appositional/Participial)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस् + चर् (धातु) → तपश्चरन् (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — शतृ-प्रत्यय वर्तमानकृदन्त; ‘practising austerity’ (तपः चरन्)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual continuity)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (assembly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A powerful dānava ascetic named Maya sits in a shadowed cave within the Vindhya mountains, surrounded by rugged cliffs, creepers, and a dim sacrificial glow—his posture austere, his aura proud and formidable.

Characters & Entities

• Vindhya
• Maya (Dānava)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas (austerity) is portrayed as a potent force even among non-divine beings, shaping destiny and alliances in Purāṇic history.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Vindhya region is referenced as sacred geography, but no named tīrtha is praised in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas is mentioned generally; no specific vrata, mantra, or rite is detailed.