Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

अज्ञानतिमिरान्धस्य ज्ञानांजनशलाकया

Transliteration

ajñānatimirāndhasya jñānāṃjanaśalākayā

Translation

أمّا من أعمته ظلمةُ الجهل، فبعصا كُحلِ المعرفة تُبدَّد تلك العتمة.

Word by Word

• ajñāna-timira-andhasya: of the one blinded by the darkness of ignorance
• ajñāna-timira-andhasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ajñāna (प्रातिपदिक) + timira (प्रातिपदिक) + andha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘अज्ञानरूप-तिमिरेण अन्धस्य’ (one blind due to the darkness of ignorance)

• jñāna-añjana-śalākayā: with the collyrium-stick of knowledge
• jñāna-añjana-śalākayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक) + añjana (प्रातिपदिक) + śalākā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘ज्ञानरूपेण अञ्जनेन शलाका’ / ‘ज्ञानाञ्जनस्य शलाका’

Speaker

Unspecified (fragmentary pāda; likely part of a conventional ‘opening the eye of knowledge’ formulation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ignorance is spiritual blindness; knowledge functions like an eye-medicine that restores true sight.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this fragment; it serves as a doctrinal bridge within the Revā/Narmadā Māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external ritual is stated; the ‘prescription’ is cultivation of jñāna (spiritual knowledge).