Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 116

Devanagari script

प्राप्नोति ज्ञानमीशानान्मोक्षं प्राप्नोति केशवात् । नीलं रक्तं तदभवन्मेचकं यद्धि सूत्रकम्

Transliteration

prāpnoti jñānamīśānānmokṣaṃ prāpnoti keśavāt | nīlaṃ raktaṃ tadabhavanmecakaṃ yaddhi sūtrakam

Translation

Von Īśāna erlangt man wahre Erkenntnis; von Keśava erlangt man Mokṣa, die Befreiung. Und der Faden, dunkelblau und rot, wurde von tiefem, wolkendunklem Farbton.

Word by Word

• प्राप्नोति: attains
• प्राप्नोति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ईशानात्: from Īśāna (Śiva)
• ईशानात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन

• मोक्षम्: liberation
• मोक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्राप्नोति: attains
• प्राप्नोति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• केशवात्: from Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• केशवात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन

• नीलम्: blue
• नीलम्: Pradhana-visheshana (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• रक्तम्: red
• रक्तम्: Pradhana-visheshana (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• तत्: that (it)
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• मेचकम्: dark/blackish
• मेचकम्: Pradhana-visheshana (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेचक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle: indeed/for)

• सूत्रकम्: the little thread/string
• सूत्रकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (narrating; inferred)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Amaraparvata / Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic close-up: a cord/thread (or rope) once blue and red now appears deep cloud-dark; behind it, a serene vision of Īśāna (Śiva aspect) and Keśava (Viṣṇu) as complementary sources—knowledge and liberation—while the pilgrim stands in quiet awe.

Characters & Entities

• Īśāna (Śiva)
• Keśava (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa honors complementary grace: Śiva as bestower of knowledge and Viṣṇu as bestower of liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the Śuklatīrtha māhātmya sequence on the Narmadā in the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it conveys doctrine (jñāna/mokṣa) and symbolic imagery (the cord’s color change).