Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

वने चिन्तयतः किंचिद्ध्वनिगीतं सुशोभनम् । गीतस्य च ध्वनिं श्रुत्वा मोहितो मायया हरेः

Transliteration

vane cintayataḥ kiṃciddhvanigītaṃ suśobhanam | gītasya ca dhvaniṃ śrutvā mohito māyayā hareḥ

Translation

വനത്തിൽ ചിന്തിച്ചുകൊണ്ടിരിക്കെ എവിടെയോ നിന്നൊരു മനോഹരമായ ഗീതധ്വനി ഉയർന്നു. ആ ഗാനത്തിന്റെ നാദം കേട്ട് അവൻ ഹരിയുടെ മായയിൽ മോഹിതനായി.

Word by Word

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• चिन्तयतः: while (he) was thinking / of one thinking
• चिन्तयतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु) → चिन्तयत् (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘of (him) thinking’

• किञ्चित्: some / a certain
• किञ्चित्: Vishesana (Qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किञ्चित् (सर्वनाम/अव्ययप्राय)
• Form: परिमाण/अल्पत्ववाचक-अव्यय (indefinite ‘a little/some’)

• ध्वनिगीतम्: a sound-song / a melodious sound
• ध्वनिगीतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वनिगीत (प्रातिपदिक; ध्वनि + गीत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• सुशोभनम्: very beautiful
• सुशोभनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुशोभन (प्रातिपदिक; सु + शोभन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; qualifies ध्वनिगीतम्

• गीतस्य: of the song
• गीतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत (प्रातिपदिक; √गै क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

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

• ध्वनिम्: the sound
• ध्वनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); ‘having heard’

• मोहितः: deluded
• मोहितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुह् (धातु) → मोहित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘deluded’

• मायया: by illusion
• मायया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• हरेः: of Hari (Vishnu)
• हरेः: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: narādhipa (king) implied

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a quiet forest, as the Dānava broods, an exquisitely beautiful song arises unseen; the sound-waves seem to ripple through trees, and his expression shifts into enchantment—caught by Hari’s māyā.

Characters & Entities

• Hari

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Māyā often works through attractive sounds and impressions; dharma emphasizes mastery of attention and senses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā-kṣetra’s forested sacred setting, where divine power is narrated as palpably active.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual act is specified in this verse.