Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

सर्वानयेष्वच्युत दानवस्त्वं सनत्सजातश्च विवेकवत्सु । रसस्वरूपेण जलस्थितोऽसि गन्धस्वरूपं भवतो धरित्र्याम्

Transliteration

sarvānayeṣvacyuta dānavastvaṃ sanatsajātaśca vivekavatsu | rasasvarūpeṇa jalasthito'si gandhasvarūpaṃ bhavato dharitryām

Translation

O Acyuta: Auf jedem Pfad krummen Handelns erscheinst Du als danava-gleicher Impuls; doch unter den Einsichtigen bist Du Sanatsujāta, die ewig-uralte Weisheit. Als der Geschmack selbst verweilst Du im Wasser, und als Duft verweilst Du in der Erde.

Word by Word

• सर्वानयेषु: in all (kinds of) misguidance
• सर्वानयेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + अनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषु अनयेषु)

• अच्युत: O Acyuta
• अच्युत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अच्युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दानवः: a demon
• दानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सनत्सजातः: ancient-born/eternally born
• सनत्सजातः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + जात (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सनत् एव जातः = from old/eternal-born)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विवेकवत्सु: among the discerning
• विवेकवत्सु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विवेकवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• रसस्वरूपेण: as the essence of taste
• रसस्वरूपेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (रसस्य स्वरूपेण)

• जलस्थितः: situated in water
• जलस्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल + स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; स्था-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (स्थित); तत्पुरुष (जले स्थितः)

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गन्धस्वरूपम्: the essence of smell
• गन्धस्वरूपम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (गन्धस्य स्वरूपम्)

• भवतः: of you (hon.)
• भवतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग (honorific pronoun)

• धरित्र्याम्: on/in the earth
• धरित्र्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरित्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

A devotee/sage praising the Supreme Lord (Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa) in Revā Khaṇḍa context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two contrasted vignettes: on one side, shadowy daṇava-like impulses tugging beings into crooked paths; on the other, luminous Sanatsujāta teaching sages. Below, water shimmering as ‘taste’ and earth blooming as ‘fragrance’.

Characters & Entities

• Acyuta
• Sanatsujāta
• Jala (water)
• Dharitrī (earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

God is present both as the inner tendency behind vice and as the illuminating wisdom within discernment; He also pervades the senses through taste in water and fragrance in earth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative belongs to the Revā (Narmadā) Māhātmya framework, emphasizing sacred geography indirectly through theology of the elements.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse supports meditative recognition of the Lord in sense-experience and moral life.