Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

ततो युगसहस्रान्तमहं कालं तया सह । व्यचरं वै तमोभूते सर्वतः सलिलावृते

Transliteration

tato yugasahasrāntamahaṃ kālaṃ tayā saha | vyacaraṃ vai tamobhūte sarvataḥ salilāvṛte

Translation

Daraufhin wanderte ich, eine Zeitspanne von tausend Yugas, mit ihr umher, in einer Welt, die in Finsternis versunken und ringsum von Wassern bedeckt war.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अव्यय-प्रकारः: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• युगसहस्रान्तम्: the end of a thousand yugas
• युगसहस्रान्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग + सहस्र + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक); अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (yuga-sahasrasya antaḥ)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कालम्: time
• कालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तया: with her (by/along with her)
• तया: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अव्यय-प्रकारः: उपसर्गसदृश/सह-प्रयोग (postposition meaning 'with')

• व्यचरम्: I wandered/moved about
• व्यचरम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + चर् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular); धातुः: चर् (to move/wander)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle; emphasis/indeed)

• तमोभूते: in (a state) become dark
• तमोभूते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तमस् + भूत (प्रातिपदिक); भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः: तत्पुरुष (tamasā bhūtam = become darkness)

• सर्वतः: on all sides, everywhere
• सर्वतः: Adhikarana (Spatial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• सलिलावृते: covered with water
• सलिलावृते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सलिल + आवृत (प्रातिपदिक); आवृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); कृदन्तः: क्त (past participle) √वृ (to cover) with आ-; समासः: तत्पुरुष (salilena āvṛtam = covered by water)

Speaker

Unspecified (deduced: the narrator continuing the account of being carried/sustained)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) — implied narrative frame

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone narrator-figure drifting with a companion across a dark, water-covered cosmos; no horizon, only endless waters and dim sky.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even across vast cycles of time, divine guidance sustains the devotee through darkness and overwhelming conditions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā-khaṇḍa’s sacred-river worldview underlies the scene, though this verse uses cosmic-water imagery rather than a named ford.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive, emphasizing endurance and providential companionship.