Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

अनिवर्तिका गतिस्तस्य रुद्रलोकादसंशयम् । अवशः स्ववशो वापि जन्तुस्तत्क्षेत्रमण्डले

Transliteration

anivartikā gatistasya rudralokādasaṃśayam | avaśaḥ svavaśo vāpi jantustatkṣetramaṇḍale

Translation

Sein Weg wird unwiderruflich — ohne Zweifel — vom Reich Rudras her. Ob hilflos oder selbstbeherrscht: jedes Wesen innerhalb des Umkreises jenes heiligen Feldes—

Word by Word

• anivartikā: irreversible / non-returning
• anivartikā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-nivartikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; न-प्रत्ययेन निषेध (non-returning)

• gatiḥ: course, destiny, going
• gatiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tasya: of him / of that (being)
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• rudralokāt: from Rudra’s world
• rudralokāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra-loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (रुद्रस्य लोकः)

• asaṃśayam: without doubt
• asaṃśayam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: a-saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः; नपुंसक-द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत् (certainly, without doubt)

• avaśaḥ: helpless
• avaśaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-vaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• svavaśaḥ: self-controlled
• svavaśaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva-vaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (स्वः एव वशः यस्य)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• api: even / also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारार्थक-अव्यय (even/also)

• jantuḥ: creature, being
• jantuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jantu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-पूर्वपद-रूपेण (that)

• kṣetra: sacred region
• kṣetra: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (field/sacred region)

• maṇḍale: in the precinct/circle
• maṇḍale: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तत्क्षेत्रस्य मण्डलम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Āvantya Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śukla Tīrtha kṣetra-maṇḍala (Revā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circular sacred boundary marked by shrines and river ghāṭas; pilgrims of varied conditions—an ascetic and a weary traveler—cross into the kṣetra while a subtle Rudra-loka vision appears above, indicating irreversible ascent.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Rudraloka
• Kṣetra-maṇḍala (sacred precinct)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred precinct (kṣetra-maṇḍala) is portrayed as spiritually transformative in itself, granting an elevated, non-reversing destiny linked to Rudra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage continues the praise of Śuklatīrtha and its surrounding kṣetra (sacred field).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is specified here; the emphasis is on the inherent salvific potency of being within the kṣetra-maṇḍala, complementing earlier snāna, tarpaṇa, dāna, and vrata.