Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

विप्रकीर्णशिलाजालामपश्यत्स वसुंधराम् । कूर्मपृष्ठोपगां देवीं महार्णवगतां प्रभुः

Transliteration

viprakīrṇaśilājālāmapaśyatsa vasuṃdharām | kūrmapṛṣṭhopagāṃ devīṃ mahārṇavagatāṃ prabhuḥ

Translation

പ്രഭു ചിതറിക്കിടക്കുന്ന ശിലാഖണ്ഡങ്ങളുടെ ജാലം നിറഞ്ഞ വസുന്ധരയെ കണ്ടു; മഹാസമുദ്രത്തിനുള്ളിൽ കൂർമത്തിന്റെ പൃഷ്ഠത്തിൽ അധിഷ്ഠിതയായ ദേവീ-ഭൂമിയെയും ദർശിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• विप्रकीर्णशिलाजालाम्: (earth) having a net of rocks scattered about
• विप्रकीर्णशिलाजालाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विप्रकीर्ण (वि-√कॄ/किर् (धातु), क्त-प्रत्यय; ‘scattered’) + शिला (प्रातिपदिक) + जाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (शिलानां जालम्; विप्रकीर्णं शिलाजालम्)

• अपश्यत्: saw
• अपश्यत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वसुंधराम्: the earth
• वसुंधराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुंधरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• कूर्मपृष्ठोपगाम्: resting upon/approaching the tortoise’s back
• कूर्मपृष्ठोपगाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कूर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + उपग (उप-√गम् (धातु), क्त/क्तवत्-आधारित कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक ‘gone/approached’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कूर्मस्य पृष्ठम्; तदुपगता)

• देवीम्: the goddess
• देवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महार्णवगताम्: gone into the great ocean
• महार्णवगताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (√गम् (धातु), क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (महार्णवे गता)

• प्रभुः: the lord
• प्रभुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Unknown (contextual narrator in Revā Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience (ṛṣi/kingly interlocutor typical of Revā-mahātmya frames)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast pralaya-ocean; the Earth-goddess resting upon the back of the cosmic Tortoise; scattered rock-networks floating like debris; the Lord beholding and assessing the broken world.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhu (Lord)
• Vasundharā (Earth)
• Kūrma (Tortoise)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Earth is divine (Devī) and upheld by cosmic supports; treating the world with reverence is part of Purāṇic dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha; the verse uses cosmological imagery (Kūrma, mahārṇava) to frame sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.