Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

ममाश्रयस्व लाङ्गूलं त्वामतस्तारयाम्यहम् । घोरादस्माद्भयाद्विप्र यावत्संप्लवते जगत्

Transliteration

mamāśrayasva lāṅgūlaṃ tvāmatastārayāmyaham | ghorādasmādbhayādvipra yāvatsaṃplavate jagat

Translation

میری دُم کو سہارا بنا کر مضبوطی سے تھام لو؛ یوں میں تمہیں پار اُتار دوں گا۔ اے برہمن، اس ہولناک خوف سے—جب تک سارا جگت پرلَے کے سیلاب میں نہ ڈوب جائے—میں تمہیں نجات دوں گا۔

Word by Word

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• आश्रयस्व: take refuge (in)
• आश्रयस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• लाङ्गूलम्: tail
• लाङ्गूलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाङ्गूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अतः: therefore / from this (reason)
• अतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अव्यय-प्रकारः: अव्यय/कारणार्थक (therefore/from this)

• तारयामि: I will ferry/save
• तारयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु) [णिच् causative: तारय-]
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद, णिच् (Causative)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• घोरात्: from the terrible (one/thing)
• घोरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masc/Neut), पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अस्मात्: from this
• अस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• भयात्: from fear
• भयात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• विप्र: O brahmin
• विप्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• यावत्: until / as long as
• यावत्: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, काल/परिमाणवाचक (until/as long as)

• संप्लवते: is flooded / is submerged
• संप्लवते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्लु (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Revā/Narmadā (in a protective, zoomorphic manifestation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A terrified brāhmaṇa amid a world-engulfing flood clings to the tail of a divine being (often envisioned as a protective goddess/śakti or miraculous creature), who promises to ferry him across the pralaya-waters.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Vipra (brāhmaṇa devotee)
• Saṃplava (deluge)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaraṇāgati (refuge) is depicted concretely: clinging to the divine saves one from overwhelming fear and chaos.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā/Narmadā as a saving tīrtha—one who ‘ferries across’ devotees—embodying the river’s salvific mahātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual; the instruction is devotional refuge—symbolically ‘holding on’ to the goddess’s protection.