Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

ततः क्रूरसभाचारः क्रूरं दृष्ट्वा निरीक्षितः । पपात सहसा भूमौ शनैश्चारी शनैश्चरः

Transliteration

tataḥ krūrasabhācāraḥ krūraṃ dṛṣṭvā nirīkṣitaḥ | papāta sahasā bhūmau śanaiścārī śanaiścaraḥ

Translation

అప్పుడు సభలో క్రూరాచారుడిగా పేరుగాంచిన శనైశ్చరుడు, కఠిన దృష్టితో చూచబడగానే, అకస్మాత్తుగా భూమిపై పడిపోయాడు—ఆ మందగామి శని కూలిపోయాడు।

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb): ‘then’

• krūra-sabhā-ācāraḥ: one of cruel conduct in the assembly
• krūra-sabhā-ācāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krūra (प्रातिपदिक) + sabhā (प्रातिपदिक) + ācāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘क्रूरायां सभायां आचारः’ (one whose conduct is cruel in assembly)

• krūram: cruel/terrible (thing/person)
• krūram: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: krūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (object implied)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), ‘having seen’

• nirīkṣitaḥ: being observed/looked at
• nirīkṣitaḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirīkṣita (कृदन्त, √īkṣ धातु with nir-)
• Form: क्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having been looked at/observed’

• papāta: fell
• papāta: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pat (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• sahasā: suddenly
• sahasā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sahasā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘suddenly’

• bhūmau: on the ground
• bhūmau: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (locative), एकवचन

• śanaiḥ-cārī: the slow-moving one
• śanaiḥ-cārī: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śanaiḥ (अव्यय) + cārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘शनैः चरति’ (one who moves slowly)

• śanaiḥ-caraḥ: Śanaiścara (Saturn)
• śanaiḥ-caraḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śanaiḥ (अव्यय) + cara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘शनैः चरः’ (Saturn)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Revā-khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śanaiścara, dark-hued and austere, moving through the sky, suddenly struck by a fierce gaze/tejas and falling to the earth; the boy-sage’s presence implied as the source of that power.

Characters & Entities

• Śanaiścara (Śani)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even powerful cosmic forces (grahas) are restrained by higher dharma and tapas; karmic agencies are not beyond moral accountability in Purāṇic vision.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the focus is on the graha-deity Śani within the Revā-khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.