Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

क्रीडन्ती च जलस्थाने तडागे देवसन्निधौ । अन्वेष्या च त्वया राजंस्तस्य मार्गं विजानता

Transliteration

krīḍantī ca jalasthāne taḍāge devasannidhau | anveṣyā ca tvayā rājaṃstasya mārgaṃ vijānatā

Translation

“وہ دیوتا کے سَنِدھان کے پاس تالاب کے پانی میں کھیل رہی تھی۔ اے راجن! آپ راستوں سے واقف ہیں، اس لیے آپ ہی کو اس کی تلاش کرنی چاہیے۔”

Word by Word

• क्रीडन्ती: playing
• क्रीडन्ती: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रीड् (धातु) → क्रीडन्ती (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• जलस्थाने: in the water-place
• जलस्थाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जलस्थान (प्रातिपदिक; जल + स्थान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तडागे: in the pond
• तडागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तडाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• देवसन्निधौ: in the presence of the deity
• देवसन्निधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अन्वेष्या: should be searched for
• अन्वेष्या: Vidhi (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु + इष्/एष् (धातु) → अन्वेष्य (कृदन्त, तव्यत्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartr̥ (Agent/कर्ता; in obligation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्य-प्रयोग), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• मार्गम्: path/track
• मार्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• विजानता: by (you) knowing/while knowing
• विजानता: Kartr̥-viseshana (Agent qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ज्ञा (धातु) → विजानत् (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त

Speaker

Narrator (within Revā Khaṇḍa context; exact speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The companions describe the exact spot: a shining pond beside a shrine; in the background, a small temple or deity-marker; the king is urged to search along known paths.

Characters & Entities

• King (Rājan)
• Deva (local deity presence)
• Taḍāga (pond)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes protecting the vulnerable, especially in sacred precincts; authority must act when harm occurs near holy places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred pond (taḍāga) near a deity’s presence is indicated, within the Revā Khaṇḍa landscape; the verse does not give a proper name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the emphasis is on investigation and protection.