Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

स त्यक्त्वा पुत्रदारांश्च सुहृद्बन्धुपरिग्रहान् । चचार मौनमास्थाय तपः कम्बुर्महामतिः

Transliteration

sa tyaktvā putradārāṃśca suhṛdbandhuparigrahān | cacāra maunamāsthāya tapaḥ kamburmahāmatiḥ

Translation

Söhne und Gattin verlassend und alle Bindungen an Freunde und Verwandte abstreifend, nahm Kambu—groß an Entschlossenheit—das Gelübde des Schweigens auf sich und übte strenge Askese.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया (having done)

• पुत्रदारान्: sons and wife
• पुत्रदारान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + दार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• सुहृद्बन्धुपरिग्रहान्: attachments/possessions of friends and relatives
• सुहृद्बन्धुपरिग्रहान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुहृद् (प्रातिपदिक) + बन्धु (प्रातिपदिक) + परिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सुहृदां बन्धूनां परिग्रहान् इति); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• चचार: he practiced/went about
• चचार: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• मौनम्: silence (vow of silence)
• मौनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• आस्थाय: having undertaken/adopted
• आस्थाय: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कम्बुः: Kambu (proper name)
• कम्बुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कम्बु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• महामतिः: great-minded, very wise
• महामतिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-field (general)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kambu turns away from household life—sons, wife, kin and friends—walking into a quiet forested riverbank landscape, adopting a vow of silence and austerity.

Characters & Entities

• Kambu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner transformation is portrayed as beginning with detachment and disciplined tapas, which can redirect even an asura’s destiny toward a sacred outcome.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kambukeśvara, whose origin-glory is being prepared through Kambu’s austerities.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mauna (vow of silence) and tapas (austerity) as ascetic disciplines.