Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

दिव्यं प्राणबलं जज्ञे समुद्रप्लवनक्षमम् । ततस्तां प्रत्युवाचेदं का त्वमेकार्णवीकृते

Transliteration

divyaṃ prāṇabalaṃ jajñe samudraplavanakṣamam | tatastāṃ pratyuvācedaṃ kā tvamekārṇavīkṛte

Translation

พลังปราณอันเป็นทิพย์บังเกิดในตัวข้าพเจ้า สามารถข้ามมหาสมุทรได้ แล้วข้าพเจ้าจึงกล่าวแก่นางว่า “เมื่อสรรพสิ่งกลายเป็นมหาสมุทรเดียวเช่นนี้ ท่านเป็นใครกัน?”

Word by Word

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्राणबलम्: vital strength
• प्राणबलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक) + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः: प्राण-बलम् (strength of life-breath)

• जज्ञे: was born / arose
• जज्ञे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• समुद्र: ocean
• समुद्र: Sambandha (Relation in compound/समाससम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रातिपदिक (in compound)

• प्लवन: crossing / swimming
• प्लवन: Sambandha (Relation in compound/समाससम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्लवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रातिपदिक (in compound)

• क्षमम्: capable (of crossing the ocean)
• क्षमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः: समुद्र-प्लवन-क्षमम् (capable of ocean-crossing)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रम/कारणवाचक (then/thereupon)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रति: in return / towards
• प्रति: Upasarga (Preverb/उपसर्ग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपसर्ग/पूर्वसर्ग (preverb) used with √वच्

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• का: who? (fem.)
• का: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• एकार्णवीकृते: in (the world) made into one ocean
• एकार्णवीकृते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृ-धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः: एक-अर्णवी-कृते (when made into a single ocean)

Speaker

Narrator (rescued brāhmaṇa/devotee)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Divine rescuer (Revā/Devī implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The brāhmaṇa stands newly empowered, aura of prāṇa-force around him, gazing across an endless cosmic ocean; he turns toward the divine mother/savior and asks her identity amid the ekārṇava.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Ekārṇava
• Samudra (ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Grace empowers the devotee beyond normal limits; spiritual awakening naturally leads to inquiry into the divine’s true identity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā/Narmadā is central; her mahātmya is shown through bestowing extraordinary vitality and protection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse focuses on the boon (strength) and the ensuing theological question.