Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

तदार्णवजलं सर्वं संक्षिप्तं सहसाभवत् । किमेतदिति संचिन्त्य दिशः समवलोकयम्

Transliteration

tadārṇavajalaṃ sarvaṃ saṃkṣiptaṃ sahasābhavat | kimetaditi saṃcintya diśaḥ samavalokayam

Translation

അന്നേ ക്ഷണത്തിൽ സമസ്ത സമുദ്രജലവും പെട്ടെന്നു ചുരുങ്ങിപ്പോയി. “ഇതെന്ത്?” എന്നു ചിന്തിച്ച് ഞാൻ എല്ലാദിക്കുകളിലേക്കും നോക്കി.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular); विशेषणरूपेण

• आर्णव-जलम्: ocean-water
• आर्णव-जलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आर्णव (प्रातिपदिक) + जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आर्णवस्य जलम्)

• सर्वम्: all, entire
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular); विशेषण

• संक्षिप्तम्: contracted, reduced
• संक्षिप्तम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + क्षिप् (धातु) → संक्षिप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular); भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त)

• सहसा: suddenly
• सहसा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular); प्रश्नवाचक

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular); विशेषण

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक (quotative particle)

• संचिन्त्य: having thought
• संचिन्त्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + चिन्त् (धातु) → संचिन्त्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• दिशः: directions
• दिशः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Plural)

• समवलोकयम्: I looked around
• समवलोकयम्: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अव + लोक् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Narrator (a Brāhmaṇa sage) addressing a king (Nareśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-cycle (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Unspecified (within Purāṇic dialogue chain)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast ocean suddenly draws inward as if inhaled; the observer stands alert, scanning the horizons in all directions under a charged sky.

Characters & Entities

• Arṇava (ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The devotee’s path includes awe and inquiry; wonder becomes a doorway to deeper revelation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa context underlies the narration, but this verse depicts a cosmic scene rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a descriptive narrative transition.