Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

ध्यायमानस्ततः काले अपश्यं पक्षिणं परम् । हारकुन्देन्दुसंकाशं बकं गोक्षीरपाण्डुरम्

Transliteration

dhyāyamānastataḥ kāle apaśyaṃ pakṣiṇaṃ param | hārakundendusaṃkāśaṃ bakaṃ gokṣīrapāṇḍuram

Translation

ครั้นเมื่อข้าพเจ้าดำรงอยู่ในสมาธิ ณ กาลนั้น ก็ได้เห็นนกอันน่าอัศจรรย์ยิ่ง—นกกระเรียน สว่างดุจพวงมาลัย ดอกมะลิ และจันทร์เพ็ญ ขาวนวลดุจน้ำนมโค

Word by Word

• ध्यायमानः: meditating, contemplating
• ध्यायमानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—अवधारण/अनन्तरार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: then/thereafter)

• काले: at the time
• काले: Adhikarana (Location/Time अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अपश्यम्: I saw
• अपश्यम्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पक्षिणम्: a bird
• पक्षिणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• परम्: supreme, excellent
• परम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying पक्षिणम्)

• हारकुन्देन्दुसंकाशम्: resembling a garland, jasmine, and the moon (i.e., very white)
• हारकुन्देन्दुसंकाशम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हार (प्रातिपदिक) + कुन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) + संकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; उपमान-तत्पुरुषः (हार-कुन्द-इन्दु-संकाशः = तेषां संकाशः), विशेषणम् (qualifying बकम्/पक्षिणम्)

• बकम्: a crane/heron
• बकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; पक्षिणम् इत्यस्य विशेष्य-निर्देशः

• गोक्षीरपाण्डुरम्: pale/white like cow’s milk
• गोक्षीरपाण्डुरम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक) + पाण्डुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गोक्षीरस्य पाण्डुरः), विशेषणम् (qualifying बकम्)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tirtha-region (Revākhaṇḍa frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone ascetic in meditation amid an endless, dark, wave-tossed expanse; a luminous milk-white crane appears, its body shining like moonlight and jasmine garlands, becoming the focal point of wonder.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Baka (crane-form)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady meditation culminates in divine signs and revelations, even in the darkest cosmic conditions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No geographic tīrtha is named; the focus is on a visionary encounter during pralaya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Meditation (dhyāna) is the implied discipline leading to the vision.