Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

विदित्वा चान्तरं तस्य गृहीत्वा वेषमुत्तमम् । अहल्यां रमयामास विश्वस्तां मन्दिरान्तिके

Transliteration

viditvā cāntaraṃ tasya gṛhītvā veṣamuttamam | ahalyāṃ ramayāmāsa viśvastāṃ mandirāntike

Translation

اس نے موقع جان کر بہترین بھیس اختیار کیا اور اعتماد کرنے والی اہلیہ کو آشرم کے قریب فریب دے کر بہلا پھسلا لیا۔

Word by Word

• viditvā: having known
• viditvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action), अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• antaram: the opportunity/interval
• antaram: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• tasya: of him/of that (person)
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन, पुं/नपुंसक (contextual)

• gṛhītvā: having taken/assumed
• gṛhītvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √grah (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• veṣam: disguise/appearance
• veṣam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• uttamam: excellent/best
• uttamam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (veṣam इति विशेष्यस्य)

• ahalyām: Ahalyā
• ahalyām: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahalyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• ramayāmāsa: made (her) enjoy/pleased; dallied with
• ramayāmāsa: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ram (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद, perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative)

• viśvastām: trusting/unsuspecting
• viśvastām: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viśvasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (ahalyām इति विशेष्यस्य)

• mandira-antike: near the house/temple
• mandira-antike: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mandira (प्रातिपदिक) + antika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (mandirasya antike)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic storyteller voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in the larger frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

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

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed as “Bhārata” (epic-style interlocutor)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Near an āśrama-dwelling/mandira precinct, Indra in a refined disguise approaches Ahalyā; the moment is quiet, intimate, and morally charged, with the hermitage boundary emphasized.

Characters & Entities

• Ahalyā
• Gautama
• Śakra (Indra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Violation of trust and disguise-driven deception are condemned; dharma protects relationships through truthfulness and restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse is part of the Revā Khaṇḍa’s didactic narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.