Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

काचित्कुन्देन्दुवर्णाभा नीलरत्नविभूषिता । शिरसा प्राञ्जलिर्भूत्वा विज्ञापयति पावकम्

Transliteration

kācitkundenduvarṇābhā nīlaratnavibhūṣitā | śirasā prāñjalirbhūtvā vijñāpayati pāvakam

Translation

Seorang wanita lain, putih berseri seperti bunga kunda dan bulan serta berhias permata nilam, menundukkan kepala dengan tangan beranjali lalu merayu memohon kepada Dewa Agni, sang Api.

Word by Word

• काचित्: a certain (woman)
• काचित्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काचित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अनिर्दिष्टा स्त्री (indefinite pronoun: “a certain woman”)

• कुन्द-इन्दु-वर्ण-आभा: having a hue like jasmine and the moon
• कुन्द-इन्दु-वर्ण-आभा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + आभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (उपमान-निर्देशः: ‘कुन्देन्दुवर्ण’ इव आभा यस्याः)

• नील-रत्न-विभूषिता: adorned with blue gems
• नील-रत्न-विभूषिता: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नील (प्रातिपदिक) + रत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + विभूषित (कृदन्त; धातु √भूष् (भूषण) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘नीलरत्नैः’ इति तृतीया-सम्बन्धः)

• शिरसा: with (her) head
• शिरसा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण (instrumental)

• प्राञ्जलिः: with folded hands
• प्राञ्जलिः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘अञ्जलिं कृत्वा’ इत्यर्थे (hands folded)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय-भावकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having become)

• विज्ञापयति: informs, petitions
• विज्ञापयति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु) + वि + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• पावकम्: Agni, the fire-god
• पावकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual purāṇic narration within Revā Khaṇḍa; exact speaker not stated in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (Narmadā region)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (addressed in adjacent verse-context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pale, moon-jasmine-complexioned woman adorned with blue gems stands before a blazing sacrificial/consuming fire, head bowed, palms joined, pleading for mercy amid a calamity scene.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Pāvaka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In संकट (crisis), the mind turns to reverence and supplication; humility (prāñjali) is shown as a dharmic response to overwhelming forces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s sacred setting (Revā/Narmadā region), but it does not name a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A gesture of worship—bowing with folded hands (prāñjali)—is depicted, but no formal rite is prescribed.