Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

ततः कुसुमगन्धेन विस्मयं परमं गतः । आघ्राय चेदृशं पुण्यं न दृष्टं न श्रुतं मया

Transliteration

tataḥ kusumagandhena vismayaṃ paramaṃ gataḥ | āghrāya cedṛśaṃ puṇyaṃ na dṛṣṭaṃ na śrutaṃ mayā

Translation

അപ്പോൾ പുഷ്പസുഗന്ധം മൂലം അവൻ പരമ വിസ്മയത്തിലായി. “ഇത്തരമൊരു പുണ്യസുഗന്ധം ആഘ്രായിച്ചിട്ടും ഞാൻ ഇതുവരെ കണ്ടിട്ടില്ല, കേട്ടിട്ടില്ല” എന്നു പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• ततः: then / thereupon
• ततः: Kāla (Time/Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादान/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (from there/thereupon)

• कुसुमगन्धेन: by the flower-fragrance
• कुसुमगन्धेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुसुमगन्ध (प्रातिपदिक; कुसुम + गन्ध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• विस्मयम्: astonishment
• विस्मयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• परमम्: supreme / great
• परमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; qualifies विस्मयम्

• गतः: attained / came to
• गतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; predicative = ‘went/attained’

• आघ्राय: having smelled
• आघ्राय: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-घ्रा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); ‘having smelled’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• ईदृशम्: such (of this kind)
• ईदृशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; qualifies पुण्यम्

• पुण्यम्: holy/meritorious (fragrance/thing)
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• दृष्टम्: seen
• दृष्टम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; impersonal passive sense ‘(it) has been seen’

• न: nor / not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• श्रुतम्: heard
• श्रुतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; impersonal passive sense ‘(it) has been heard’

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular ‘by me’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Āvantya Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: narādhipa (king) implied

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Dānava, struck by intense flower-fragrance, stands astonished—eyes widened, posture softened—uttering that he has never seen or heard of such holiness; the forest seems luminous with sanctity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are described as radiating puṇya that can be felt even through the senses, inspiring awe and inner turning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā-kṣetra/Narmadā environs, portrayed as exceptionally meritorious (puṇya) and spiritually potent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription is stated in this verse.