Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

केचित्पूर्वमुखास्तत्र चापरे दक्षिणामुखाः । वारुण्यमिमुखाः केचित्केचित्कौबेरदिङ्मुखाः

Transliteration

kecitpūrvamukhāstatra cāpare dakṣiṇāmukhāḥ | vāruṇyamimukhāḥ kecitkecitkauberadiṅmukhāḥ

Translation

ที่นั่นบางพวกหันหน้าไปทางทิศตะวันออก บางพวกหันไปทางทิศใต้; บางพวกหันสู่ทิศตะวันตกอันเป็นทิศของพระวรุณะ และบางพวกหันสู่ทิศเหนืออันเป็นทิศของท้าวกุเบร

Word by Word

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम (some)

• पूर्वमुखाः: facing east
• पूर्वमुखाः: Karta-visheshana (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (मुखाः=मुखं यस्य/येषाम्); कर्मधारयः—पूर्वं मुखं येषाम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Locative adverb/देशवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (there)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (and)

• अपरे: others
• अपरे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘others’ (substantivized adjective)

• दक्षिणामुखाः: facing south
• दक्षिणामुखाः: Karta-visheshana (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिणा + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्; कर्मधारयः—दक्षिणं मुखं येषाम्

• वारुण्य-मुखाः: facing west (Varuṇa’s direction)
• वारुण्य-मुखाः: Karta-visheshana (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वारुणी + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्; कर्मधारयः—वारुणीं दिशं मुखं येषाम् (west-facing)

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम

• कौबेर-दिङ्मुखाः: facing north (Kubera’s direction)
• कौबेर-दिङ्मुखाः: Karta-visheshana (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कौबेर + दिक् + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः—कौबेर्या दिशः मुखं येषाम् (north-facing)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; specific speaker not in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A herd of deer is seen arranged in varied orientations—some facing east, some south, some west, some north—forming a living compass in a forest glade.

Characters & Entities

• Varuṇa (west)
• Kubera (north)
• mṛga (deer)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse evokes cosmic order through the directions and their guardians, suggesting that even forest life unfolds within dharmic, ordered space.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting remains within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s sacred geography associated with the Revā/Narmadā region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive.