Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

वयमंशांशकास्तस्य चतुर्व्यूहस्य मानिनः । तदादेशितवार्त्मानौ जगद्बोधाय देहिनाम्

Transliteration

vayamaṃśāṃśakāstasya caturvyūhasya māninaḥ | tadādeśitavārtmānau jagadbodhāya dehinām

Translation

„Wir sind nur winzige Anteile der vierfachen Entfaltung jenes Herrn (Caturvyūha). Wir gehen allein den von Ihm gewiesenen Pfad, zum Erwachen der verkörperten Wesen zur Wahrheit der Welt.“

Word by Word

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अंश-अंशकाः: parts of a part (fractional portions)
• अंश-अंशकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंश (प्रातिपदिक) + अंशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अंशस्य अंशकाः = partial portions)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• चतुर्-व्यूहस्य: of the fourfold emanation
• चतुर्-व्यूहस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + व्यूह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (चत्वारः व्यूहाः यस्य/चतुर्-व्यूहः)

• मानिनः: considering (ourselves), deeming
• मानिनः: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (स्वाभिमान/सम्मान-युक्त)

• तत्-आदेशित-वार्त्मानौ: the two whose path is instructed by him
• तत्-आदेशित-वार्त्मानौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम) + आदेशित (आ + दिश् धातु, क्त-प्रातिपदिक) + वार्त्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (तद्-आदेशितं वार्त्म यस्यौ)

• जगत्-बोधाय: for awakening the world
• जगत्-बोधाय: Sampradāna (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + बोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (जगतः बोधः)

• देहिनाम्: of embodied beings
• देहिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

Speaker

Celestial women (Apsarās / Amarāṅganāḥ), speaking collectively (contextual deduction within Revā Khaṇḍa narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of celestial or semi-divine speakers bow inwardly to an unseen Vāsudeva; behind them a symbolic fourfold radiance (Caturvyūha) appears, while pilgrims listen and awaken to discernment.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Caturvyūha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recognize oneself as a dependent part of the Divine and follow the God-ordained path that awakens spiritual understanding in embodied life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate emphasis is philosophical instruction within the Revā Khaṇḍa; the broader setting reveres the Revā (Narmadā) sacred landscape rather than naming a single tirtha in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; the verse stresses divine guidance and spiritual awakening.