Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

किं कार्यमित्येव विचिन्तयित्वा वाराहरूपोऽभवदद्भुताङ्गः । महाघनाम्भोधरतुल्यवर्चाः प्रलम्बमालाम्बरनिष्कमाली

Transliteration

kiṃ kāryamityeva vicintayitvā vārāharūpo'bhavadadbhutāṅgaḥ | mahāghanāmbhodharatulyavarcāḥ pralambamālāmbaraniṣkamālī

Translation

ครั้นทรงดำริว่า “ควรกระทำสิ่งใดเล่า” พระองค์จึงทรงแปลงเป็นพระวราหะ ผู้มีอวัยวะอัศจรรย์ รัศมีดุจเมฆฝนใหญ่สีคล้ำ ทรงประดับพวงมาลัยยาว ฉลองพระองค์ และเครื่องประดับทองคำ

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• कार्यम्: task/duty
• कार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘कर्तव्य’ अर्थे

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक) = quotative particle

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) = emphatic particle

• विचिन्तयित्वा: having thought/considered
• विचिन्तयित्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verb/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त) = gerund; ‘विचार्य’

• वाराहरूपः: (one) of boar-form
• वाराहरूपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराह (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वाराहस्य रूपः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत) = imperfect; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अद्भुताङ्गः: of wondrous limbs
• अद्भुताङ्गः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (अद्भुतम् अङ्गं यस्य/अद्भुताङ्गः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• महाघन: great/dense
• महाघन: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + घन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (महान् घनः); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक; समासपूर्वपद (अगले समास में)

• अम्भोधर: cloud (water-bearer)
• अम्भोधर: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्भस् (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अम्भसः धरः) = ‘मेघः’; पुंलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (अगले समास में)

• तुल्य: equal to
• तुल्य: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; समासपूर्वपद (अगले समास में)

• वर्चाः: having splendor like a massive cloud
• वर्चाः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्चस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: महाघन-अम्भोधर-तुल्य-वर्चस् (बहुपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थ); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• प्रलम्बमाला: a long garland
• प्रलम्बमाला: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलम्ब (प्रातिपदिक) + माला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (प्रलम्बा माला); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (अगले समास में)

• अम्बर: garment
• अम्बर: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (अगले समास में)

• निष्क: gold ornament/necklet
• निष्क: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (अगले समास में)

• माली: wearing a long garland, garment, and gold ornaments
• माली: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: प्रलम्बमाला-अम्बर-निष्क-मालिन् (बहुपद-तत्पुरुषार्थ ‘एतैः युक्तः’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (within Revā Khaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

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

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The deity, after pondering what must be done, becomes Varāha—wondrous-bodied, dark as a raincloud, adorned with long garland, garments, and golden ornaments.

Characters & Entities

• Varāha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When restoration is needed, the Divine takes an appropriate form—avatarhood as compassionate response to cosmic crisis.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named in this verse; it is an avatāra-centered cosmological episode within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.