Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

एवं ज्ञात्वा तु विधिना वर्तितव्यं द्विजातिभिः । परं ब्रह्म जपद्भिश्च वार्तितव्यं मुहुर्मुहुः

Transliteration

evaṃ jñātvā tu vidhinā vartitavyaṃ dvijātibhiḥ | paraṃ brahma japadbhiśca vārtitavyaṃ muhurmuhuḥ

Translation

Dies erkennend sollen die Zweimalgeborenen nach der rechten Vorschrift wandeln. Und wer im Japa das höchste Brahman wiederholt, soll es immer wieder, unablässig, betrachten.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having known’

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle/सम्बन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; emphasis/contrast)

• विधिना: by the prescribed rule, duly
• विधिना: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘by/according to the rule’

• वर्तितव्यम्: should be practiced/observed
• वर्तितव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (तव्यत्), कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘is to be conducted/one should behave’

• द्विजातिभिः: by the twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• द्विजातिभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि + जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (द्वि+जाति = द्विजाति); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (of ब्रह्म)

• ब्रह्म: Brahman, the Absolute
• ब्रह्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• जपद्भिः: by chanters, by those reciting
• जपद्भिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त/active present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; ‘by those who are chanting’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordinator/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/coordination conjunction)

• वार्तितव्यम्: should be practiced/engaged in
• वार्तितव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (तव्यत्), कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘is to be done repeatedly/one should engage’

• मुहुः: again and again
• मुहुः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverb/कालक्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: muhuḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण/adverb of time)

• मुहुः: repeatedly
• मुहुः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverb/कालक्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: muhuḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरुक्ति; emphasis)

Speaker

Nandī (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-tīra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined dvija seated on kuśa grass at the Narmadā bank, rosary in hand, eyes half-closed, repeatedly contemplating Parabrahman; the river flows quietly with a small Śiva-liṅga shrine nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Brahman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right knowledge must become right living; japa should be joined with continual remembrance and disciplined conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā context frames the instruction as part of tīrtha-dharma—how pilgrims and practitioners should live.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa of the Supreme Brahman is prescribed, along with vidhinā-vṛtti—conduct according to scriptural/ritual rule.