Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

प्रसुप्तं चार्णवे घोरे ह्यपश्यत्कूर्मरूपिणम् । तं दृष्ट्वा विस्मयापन्नो ब्रह्मा बोधयते शनैः

Transliteration

prasuptaṃ cārṇave ghore hyapaśyatkūrmarūpiṇam | taṃ dṛṣṭvā vismayāpanno brahmā bodhayate śanaiḥ

Translation

اور اس ہولناک سمندر میں برہما نے اسے کچھوے کے روپ میں سویا ہوا دیکھا۔ اسے دیکھ کر برہما حیرت میں ڈوب گیا اور آہستہ آہستہ اسے بیدار کرنے لگا۔

Word by Word

• प्रसुप्तम्: asleep
• प्रसुप्तम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + सुप्त (कृदन्त; √स्वप्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

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

• अर्णवे: in the ocean
• अर्णवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• घोरे: terrible
• घोरे: Adhikarana (Qualifier/अधिकरणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘अर्णवे’)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थक-निपात (particle: “indeed/for”)

• अपश्यत्: saw
• अपश्यत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; √दृश् = saw

• कूर्मरूपिणम्: one having the form of a tortoise
• कूर्मरूपिणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कूर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कूर्मस्य रूपं यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (object)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अनुवादक-सर्वनाम

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); √दृश् = having seen

• विस्मयापन्नः: struck with wonder
• विस्मयापन्नः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मय (प्रातिपदिक) + आपन्न (कृदन्त; √आपद्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (विस्मयम् आपन्नः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त-विशेषण

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• बोधयते: awakens, rouses
• बोधयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बुध् (धातु) (णिजन्त/causative: बोधय)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; णिजन्त-प्रयोग (causative) = awakens/causes to know

• शनैः: slowly, gently
• शनैः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शनैः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: “slowly/gently”)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kūrma-rūpa darśana (mythic motif within Revākhaṇḍa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Unspecified (frame audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā beholds a sleeping tortoise-form in the dark ocean; he is astonished and leans forward, gently calling to awaken the being.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Kūrma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine preserves and restores creation through mysterious forms; even Brahmā depends on the higher Lord for renewal of the cosmos.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the passage is a cosmological episode rather than a location-māhātmya verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.