Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

आहूतौ विष्णुना तौ तु सकाशं जग्मतुः क्षणात् । स्थितौ तौ प्रणतौ चाग्रे देवदेवस्य धीमतः

Transliteration

āhūtau viṣṇunā tau tu sakāśaṃ jagmatuḥ kṣaṇāt | sthitau tau praṇatau cāgre devadevasya dhīmataḥ

Translation

Призванные Вишну, оба в одно мгновение явились к Нему. Они предстали перед мудрым Девою — Богом богов — и, склонившись, воздали почтение.

Word by Word

• आहूतौ: having been summoned
• आहूतौ: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + हु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; ‘having been summoned/called’

• विष्णुना: by Viṣṇu
• विष्णुना: Karta (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• सकाशम्: to the presence of, near
• सकाशम्: Gati/Adhikaraṇa (Goal/near)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकाश (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावप्रयोग)
• Form: अव्ययप्राय; ‘सकाशम्’ इति उपसर्गार्थे अव्ययीभाववत्—समीपवाचक (to the presence/near)

• जग्मतुः: went
• जग्मतुः: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन

• क्षणात्: in an instant
• क्षणात्: Apādāna (Ablative of time/source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अवधिवाचक (ablative of time)

• स्थितौ: standing
• स्थितौ: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; ‘standing/remaining’

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

• प्रणतौ: bowed
• प्रणतौ: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; ‘bowed down’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• अग्रे: in front
• अग्रे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्राय; सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• देवदेवस्य: of the God of gods
• देवदेवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां देवः); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• धीमतः: wise, intelligent
• धीमतः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; विशेषणं (देवदेवस्य)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa), contextually narrating the Revā-khaṇḍa account to the sages

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agni and Vāyu appear suddenly before Viṣṇu, hands folded, heads bowed; the battlefield pauses as divine protocol unfolds.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Agni (Pāvaka)
• Vāyu (Māruta)
• Devadeva (epithet used here for the supreme lord addressed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic powers are dharma-aligned when they bow to and act under the Supreme command—humility and service restore order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the verse supports the Revā Khaṇḍa’s sacred narrative context that frames tīrtha-mahātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual is prescribed; the verse depicts reverence (praṇāma) and divine readiness to serve.