Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

मासोपवासैरपि शोषिताङ्गा न तां गतिं यान्ति विमुक्तदेहाः । म्रियन्ति रेवाजलपूतकायाः शिवार्चने केशवभावयुक्ताः

Transliteration

māsopavāsairapi śoṣitāṅgā na tāṃ gatiṃ yānti vimuktadehāḥ | mriyanti revājalapūtakāyāḥ śivārcane keśavabhāvayuktāḥ

Translation

Selbst wer durch monatelanges Fasten am Leib ausgedörrt ist, erreicht jenen Zustand nach dem Verlassen des Körpers nicht; doch wer durch das Wasser der Revā am Körper gereinigt ist und im Śiva-Verehren stirbt, während Keśava (Viṣṇu) im Herzen weilt, der erlangt ihn.

Word by Word

• māsa-upavāsaiḥ: by month-long fasts
• māsa-upavāsaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक) + upavāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मासस्य उपवासः)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (even/also)

• śoṣita-aṅgāḥ: with bodies emaciated
• śoṣita-aṅgāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śoṣita (कृदन्त; √śuṣ) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शोषितानि अङ्गानि येषाम्)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• tām: that
• tām: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; demonstrative used adjectivally

• gatim: state/goal
• gatim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन

• yānti: attain/go
• yānti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• vimukta-dehāḥ: freed from the body (disembodied)
• vimukta-dehāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vimukta (कृदन्त; vi√muc) + deha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (विमुक्तः देहः येषाम् / देहात् विमुक्ताः)

• mriyanti: die
• mriyanti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √mṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• revā-jala-pūta-kāyāḥ: whose bodies are purified by Revā’s water
• revā-jala-pūta-kāyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: revā (प्रातिपदिक) + jala (प्रातिपदिक) + pūta (कृदन्त; √pū) + kāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (रेवाजलेन पूतः कायः येषाम्)

• śiva-arcane: in the worship of Śiva
• śiva-arcane: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + arcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य अर्चनम्)

• keśava-bhāva-yuktāḥ: endowed with devotion to Keśava
• keśava-bhāva-yuktāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: keśava (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāva (प्रातिपदिक) + yukta (कृदन्त; √yuj)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (केशवे भावेन युक्ताः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee freshly bathed in Narmadā performs Śiva-arcana on the river-bank; within the devotee’s heart-space is Keśava (Viṣṇu) as inner remembrance; above, a radiant path to the highest state is shown, contrasting with ascetics weakened by prolonged fasting.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Śiva
• Keśava (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-grace and integrated devotion (Śiva-pūjā with Viṣṇu-bhāva) can surpass mere physical austerity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā (Narmadā) and the purifying power of her waters.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-arcana (worship of Śiva) with Keśava-bhāva (Viṣṇu devotion), and the notion of being purified by Revā-jala.