Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

तथा नारायणनरौ गन्धमादनपर्वते । आत्मन्यात्मानमाधाय तेपतुः परमं तपः

Transliteration

tathā nārāyaṇanarau gandhamādanaparvate | ātmanyātmānamādhāya tepatuḥ paramaṃ tapaḥ

Translation

So vollzogen Nārāyaṇa und Nara auf dem Berge Gandhamādana, das Selbst im Selbst verankernd, die höchste Askese (tapas).

Word by Word

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (adverb)

• नारायण-नरौ: Nārāyaṇa and Nara (the two)
• नारायण-नरौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक) + नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (नारायणश्च नरश्च)

• गन्धमादन-पर्वते: on Mount Gandhamādana
• गन्धमादन-पर्वते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धमादन (प्रातिपदिक) + पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी/संबन्ध-तत्पुरुष (गन्धमादनस्य पर्वते)

• आत्मनि: in the self
• आत्मनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• आत्मानम्: the self
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आ-धाय: having placed/fixed
• आ-धाय: Kriya-vishesana (converb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), उपसर्ग: आ-; “having placed/fixed”

• तेपतुः: they performed austerity
• तेपतुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन; परस्मैपद

• परमम्: supreme/great
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (contextual attribution within Āvantya/Revā narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gandhamādana

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two ascetics—Nara and Nārāyaṇa—seated or standing in unwavering meditation on a Himalayan peak, snow ridges and cedar forests behind, their bodies luminous with restrained power.

Characters & Entities

• Nara
• Nārāyaṇa
• Gandhamādana
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tapas is inward: establishing the mind in the Self, not merely outward hardship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mount Gandhamādana is highlighted as a sanctified landscape associated with the austerities of Nara and Nārāyaṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Meditative austerity is implied—steady inner absorption (self-established contemplation) as the core practice.