Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अस्या अप्यतिरूपेण देवराजः शतक्रतुः । मोहितो लोभयामास ह्यहल्यां बलसूदनः

Transliteration

asyā apyatirūpeṇa devarājaḥ śatakratuḥ | mohito lobhayāmāsa hyahalyāṃ balasūdanaḥ

Translation

Очарованный её необычайной красотой, Индра — царь богов, совершитель ста жертвоприношений — помутился умом и стал пытаться прельстить Ахалью, победителя Балы.

Word by Word

• asyāḥ: of her
• asyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-रूपम्

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थे

• ati-rūpeṇa: by (her) extraordinary beauty
• ati-rūpeṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ati (अव्यय) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचनम्; अव्ययीभाव-समासः (ati+rūpa)

• deva-rājaḥ: the king of the gods
• deva-rājaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + rāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानां राजा)

• śata-kratuḥ: Śatakratu (Indra)
• śata-kratuḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक) + kratu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (शतं क्रतवो यस्य) इन्द्र-विशेषणम्

• mohitaḥ: deluded
• mohitaḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: muh (धातु) → mohita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः—‘मोहितः’ = deluded

• lobhayāmāsa: tempted/enticed
• lobhayāmāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: lubh (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative) — ‘lobhayati’

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेतौ/निश्चये

• ahalyām: Ahalyā
• ahalyām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahalyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्

• bala-sūdanaḥ: slayer of Bala (Indra)
• bala-sūdanaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bala (प्रातिपदिक) + sūdana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (बलं सूदयति) इन्द्र-विशेषणम्

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

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

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, radiant and regal, beholds Ahalyā’s extraordinary beauty; the moment is charged with enchantment and the first shadow of transgression.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Śatakratu)
• Ahalyā
• Bala (as epithet context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even exalted beings can fall into delusion; the narrative frames desire as a force that disrupts dharma and triggers consequential events.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Cāhalyeśvara tīrtha’s māhātmya is being contextualized through the Ahalyā narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the initiating circumstance of the legend.