Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

तां पश्यन्ति वरारोहामेकधा बहुधा पुनः । दिव्यवर्षसहस्रं तु भ्रामितास्ते तया पुरा

Transliteration

tāṃ paśyanti varārohāmekadhā bahudhā punaḥ | divyavarṣasahasraṃ tu bhrāmitāste tayā purā

Translation

তারা সেই সুশ্রী অঙ্গবিশিষ্ট কন্যাকে দেখতেই থাকত—কখনও এক রূপে, আবার কখনও বহু রূপে। সত্যই, সে পূর্বে তাদের সহস্র দিব্যবর্ষ ধরে বিভ্রান্ত করেছিল।

Word by Word

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• पश्यन्ति: they see
• पश्यन्ति: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु; पश्य-आदेश)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• वरारोहाम्: the fair-limbed maiden (lit. excellent-rider/one with fine ascent)
• वरारोहाम्: Karman (Appositional object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरा + आरोहा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (descriptive)

• एकधा: in one way/at one time
• एकधा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; संख्या-आधारित क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: in one way)

• बहुधा: in many ways
• बहुधा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: in many ways)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/पुनरावृत्ति-वाचक (adverb: again)

• दिव्यवर्षसहस्रम्: a thousand divine years
• दिव्यवर्षसहस्रम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Duration/extent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्य + वर्ष + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रधान तत्पुरुष (determinative: 'divine-years thousand')

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• भ्रामिताः: made to wander, whirled about
• भ्रामिताः: Karta (Subject; in passive sense 'were made to wander')
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• तया: by her
• तया: Karaṇa (Agent/instrument in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly, earlier
• पुरा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल-वाचक (adverb: formerly)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A single radiant maiden splits into many identical forms across the landscape; the pursuers appear exhausted, circling for ages under changing skies that indicate a thousand divine years passing.

Characters & Entities

• the maiden (varārohā)
• Devas and Asuras (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Māyā can multiply appearances (one/many) and consume vast stretches of time; liberation begins when desire-driven pursuit is relinquished.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it remains within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative milieu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.