Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

देवो मार्गे पुनस्तत्र भ्रमते च यदृच्छया । विक्रीणाति बलाकारो दृष्ट्वा चोक्तो हरेण तु

Transliteration

devo mārge punastatra bhramate ca yadṛcchayā | vikrīṇāti balākāro dṛṣṭvā cokto hareṇa tu

Translation

پھر اسی راہ میں دیو یوں ہی اتفاقاً بھٹکتا پھرا۔ اسے دیکھ کر بیل نما ایک شخص کچھ بیچ رہا تھا؛ تب ہرا (شیو) نے اسے مخاطب کیا۔

Word by Word

• devaḥ: the god
• devaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• mārge: on the road
• mārge: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• bhramate: wanders/roams
• bhramate: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhram (भ्रम् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• yadṛcchayā: by chance
• yadṛcchayā: Hetu/Karaṇa (हेतु/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yadṛcchā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• vikrīṇāti: sells
• vikrīṇāti: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi√krī (क्री धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• balākāraḥ: the one having the form of a crane (Balāka-form)
• balākāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: balā + ākāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध): बलायाः आकारः

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया (having seen)

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

• uktaḥ: was spoken/addressed
• uktaḥ: Karma (कर्म/Patient)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom./1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• hareṇa: by Hari
• hareṇa: Karta (कर्ता/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विरोध/विशेषबोधक निपात (particle: but/indeed)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (Narmadā region)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dusty pilgrimage road near the Revā; a wandering deva meets a bull-like figure engaged in selling goods; Śiva (Hara) addresses him, hinting at a test.

Characters & Entities

• Hara (Śiva)
• Deva
• Bala-ākāra (bull-like figure)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace often appears through ordinary encounters; a simple meeting can become the doorway to service (sevā) and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse is transitional; it supports the Kantheśvara-linked narrative within the Revā Khaṇḍa sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription yet; the next verse introduces a service request involving carrying a liṅga.