Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

कच्छपैर्मकरैश्चान्ये जग्मुरन्ये पदातयः । प्राप्य ते परमं स्थानमशक्यं यदधार्मिकैः

Transliteration

kacchapairmakaraiścānye jagmuranye padātayaḥ | prāpya te paramaṃ sthānamaśakyaṃ yadadhārmikaiḥ

Translation

Einige zogen auf Schildkröten und Makara dahin, andere gingen zu Fuß. So erreichten sie die höchste Stätte, die den Unrechtschaffenen unerreichbar ist.

Word by Word

• कच्छपैः: by tortoises
• कच्छपैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कच्छप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• मकरैः: by makaras (sea-creatures)
• मकरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

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

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; ‘केचित्’ इत्यर्थे

• जग्मुः: went
• जग्मुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• पदातयः: foot-soldiers, those on foot
• पदातयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पदाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• प्राप्य: having reached
• प्राप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘प्राप्य’ = having reached

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• स्थानम्: place, abode
• स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• अशक्यम्: unattainable
• अशक्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-शक्य (प्रातिपदिक; शक्-धातु यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; नञ्-समासपूर्वक विशेषणम् (स्थानम्)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम, ‘यत्…’ = which

• अधार्मिकैः: by the unrighteous
• अधार्मिकैः: Karana (Agent/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-धार्मिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Revā Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jāleśvara (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍunandana

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A mixed procession: some devas ride turtles and makaras across cosmic waters, others walk; ahead shines an inaccessible luminous realm, with a subtle boundary that repels shadowy adharmic figures.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Kacchapa
• Makara
• Brahmaloka (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual realms and higher states are approached through dharma; adharma blocks access to the ‘paramaṃ sthānam’.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha in this verse; it contrasts dharmic eligibility with adharmic exclusion in a cosmological setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the emphasis is ethical (dharma) rather than ritual.