Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

त्रिधा यत्रेक्ष्यतेऽद्यापि ह्यावर्तः सुरपूरितः । कुण्डत्रयं नरव्याघ्र महत्कलकलान्वितम्

Transliteration

tridhā yatrekṣyate'dyāpi hyāvartaḥ surapūritaḥ | kuṇḍatrayaṃ naravyāghra mahatkalakalānvitam

Translation

അവിടെ ഇന്നും ദേവസാന്നിധ്യത്തോടെ നിറഞ്ഞ ആ ചുഴി ത്രിവിധമായി ദൃശ്യമാകുന്നു; ഹേ നരവ്യാഘ്രാ! അവിടെ മഹാ കലകലധ്വനിയോടെ മൂന്ന് കുണ്ഡങ്ങളുണ്ട്।

Word by Word

• tridhā: in three parts / threefold
• tridhā: Adverbial (Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tridhā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• īkṣyate: is seen
• īkṣyate: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: īkṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• adyāpi: even today, still
• adyāpi: Adverbial (Kālaviśeṣaṇa/कालविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya + api (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (even today/still)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Discourse particle (Nipāta/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/indeed)

• āvartaḥ: the whirlpool/eddy
• āvartaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āvarta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• sura-pūritaḥ: filled with gods
• sura-pūritaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sura + pūrita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √pṝ/पूर् + क्त)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-भावे तत्पुरुषः (सुरैः/सुराणां पूरितः)

• kuṇḍa-trayam: a set of three pools
• kuṇḍa-trayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṇḍa + traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रीणि कुण्डानि)

• nara-vyāghra: O tiger among men
• nara-vyāghra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara + vyāghra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (नरः एव व्याघ्रः—श्रेष्ठः)

• mahat-kalakala-anvitam: endowed with great murmuring sound
• mahat-kalakala-anvitam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक) + kalakala (प्रातिपदिक) + anvita (कृदन्त; √i/अन्वि? here anvita as 'endowed with')
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः (महता कलकलेन अन्वितम्)

Speaker

Deductively: Purāṇic narrator addressing the listener as naravyāghra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: naravyāghra (address to the king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A river segment where the current forms a threefold spiral; nearby, three distinct pools shimmer, each with rippling rings and a loud, continuous murmur; faint celestial figures appear in the spray and light.

Characters & Entities

• Āvarta (whirlpool)
• Kuṇḍa-traya (three pools)
• Suras (gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrthas are recognized through enduring sacred signs in nature—distinct waterscapes that continue to manifest divine presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Revā Khaṇḍa site characterized by a threefold whirlpool and a triad of sacred pools (kuṇḍa-traya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the verse provides identifying features of the tīrtha for pilgrims.