Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

ततोऽहं दुःखमूढात्मा रुद्रमायेति चिन्तयन् । ततः कन्याः समुत्तीर्य दिव्यांबरविभूषणाः

Transliteration

tato'haṃ duḥkhamūḍhātmā rudramāyeti cintayan | tataḥ kanyāḥ samuttīrya divyāṃbaravibhūṣaṇāḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ഞാൻ ദുഃഖത്തിൽ മോഹിതമായ മനസ്സോടെ ‘ഇത് നിശ്ചയമായും രുദ്രന്റെ മായയാണ്’ എന്നു ചിന്തിച്ചു. ഉടനെ ദിവ്യവസ്ത്രാഭരണങ്ങളാൽ അലങ്കരിച്ച കന്യകൾ പ്രത്യക്ഷപ്പെട്ടു.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb; अर्थे: 'तस्मात्/अनन्तरम्' (thereafter/from there)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग (common), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; pronoun nominative singular

• दुःखमूढात्मा: I, whose mind/self was deluded by sorrow
• दुःखमूढात्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + मूढ (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (दुःखेन मूढः आत्मा यस्य/दुःखमूढः आत्मा); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• रुद्रमाया: (this is) Rudra’s māyā
• रुद्रमाया: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (रुद्रस्य माया = Rudra's illusion/power); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (इति-उक्तिः)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उक्त्यर्थक-निपात) = quotative particle

• चिन्तयन्: thinking
• चिन्तयन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ) = present active participle; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'thinking'

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = thereafter

• कन्याः: maidens/girls
• कन्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• समुत्तीर्य: having crossed/come up
• समुत्तीर्य: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उत्-तॄ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) = having crossed/come up; अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• दिव्यांबरविभूषणाः: adorned with divine garments and ornaments
• दिव्यांबरविभूषणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक) + विभूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (दिव्यं अम्बरं च विभूषणं च येषाम्/दिव्य-अम्बर-विभूषण-युक्ताः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (कन्याः इति विशेष्येण)

Speaker

Narrator (first-person observer)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (Narmadā) at the narrated puravara/kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sorrow-struck pilgrim/narrator pauses at a sacred water; as he reflects on Rudra’s māyā, celestial maidens rise from the river, clothed in divine garments and jeweled ornaments, their presence transforming the atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra (Śiva)
• māyā
• kanyāḥ (celestial maidens)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places can unveil Rudra’s mysterious power; the devotee learns humility before divine māyā and continues seeking understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā-kṣetra, where visionary manifestations accompany Liṅga worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed here; the verse frames the experience as Rudra’s māyā surrounding the ongoing worship context.