Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

जायमानः कथं विष्णुमात्मानं परमं च यत् । रागद्वेषौ तथा लोभं कः कुर्यादमराङ्गनाः

Transliteration

jāyamānaḥ kathaṃ viṣṇumātmānaṃ paramaṃ ca yat | rāgadveṣau tathā lobhaṃ kaḥ kuryādamarāṅganāḥ

Translation

Wie könnte einer, der in der Welt zur Geburt kommt, Anhaftung und Abneigung, ebenso Gier, hervorbringen, wenn Viṣṇu das Selbst ist und wahrlich das Höchste?

Word by Word

• जायमानः: being born; while taking birth
• जायमानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जायमान (कृदन्त; √जन् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्तः (present participle, middle/passive sense)

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• विष्णुम्: Vishnu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• आत्मानम्: the Self
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• यत्: which/that
• यत्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचकं सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• रागद्वेषौ: attachment and aversion
• रागद्वेषौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राग (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (copulative)

• तथा: likewise; also
• तथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थ (adverb: likewise/also)

• लोभम्: greed
• लोभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• कुर्यात्: would do; should make
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अमराङ्गनाः: O celestial women (apsarases)
• अमराङ्गनाः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमर (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (amarāṇām aṅganāḥ)

Speaker

Celestial women (Apsarās / Amarāṅganāḥ), speaking collectively (contextual deduction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: amarāṅganāḥ (celestial women)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene teacher addresses celestial women, pointing inward to the heart-lotus where Viṣṇu shines as the Self; the Revā river flows nearby, symbolizing purification of passions.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

If Viṣṇu is realized as one’s own Self and the Supreme, the impulses of attachment, aversion, and greed cannot be justified or sustained.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the verse is ethical-philosophical teaching embedded in the Revā Khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it prescribes inner purification through right knowledge/vision rather than an external rite.