Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

अशोकाश्रममध्यस्थो वृक्षमूले महातपाः । ऊर्ध्वबाहुर्महातेजास्तस्थौ मौनव्रतान्वितः

Transliteration

aśokāśramamadhyastho vṛkṣamūle mahātapāḥ | ūrdhvabāhurmahātejāstasthau maunavratānvitaḥ

Translation

Mitten im Aśoka-Āśrama, am Fuße eines Baumes, stand jener große Asket von mächtigem Glanz, die Arme erhoben, unbeirrbar im Gelübde des Schweigens.

Word by Word

• अशोकाश्रममध्यस्थः: standing in the middle of the Aśoka-āśrama
• अशोकाश्रममध्यस्थः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशोक + आश्रम + मध्य + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; स्थानवाचक (one situated in the middle of...)

• वृक्षमूले: at the root of a tree
• वृक्षमूले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष + मूल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (मूल), सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महातपाः: a great ascetic
• महातपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (तपाः = तपस्-शब्दस्य प्रथमा एकवचन रूपम्)

• ऊर्ध्वबाहुः: with arms raised upward
• ऊर्ध्वबाहुः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्ध्व + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महातेजाः: of great splendor
• महातेजाः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (तेजाः = तेजस्-शब्दस्य प्रथमा एकवचन रूपम्)

• तस्थौ: stood
• तस्थौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• मौनव्रतान्वितः: endowed with the vow of silence
• मौनव्रतान्वितः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मौन + व्रत + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (अन्वित = 'endowed'), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Deductive: Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (Revā Khaṇḍa narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aśoka-āśrama (Revā region)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Māṇḍavya stands at the foot of a tree in the Aśoka hermitage, arms raised, radiant with ascetic splendor, observing silence.

Characters & Entities

• Aśoka-āśrama
• muni (ascetic)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Firmness in vrata and tapas—especially mauna—creates inner power and steadiness even amid future trials.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa setting broadly sanctifies the Revā (Narmadā) region; this verse specifically highlights an Aśoka-āśrama within that sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The vow of silence (mauna-vrata) and the ascetic posture of raised arms (ūrdhva-bāhu) as a form of sustained tapas.