Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

अप्राप्य त्वां किमत्यन्तमुच्छ्रयी न विनाशयेत् । अतिप्रमाथि च तदा तपो महत्सुदारुणम्

Transliteration

aprāpya tvāṃ kimatyantamucchrayī na vināśayet | atipramāthi ca tadā tapo mahatsudāruṇam

Translation

Ohne dich zu erlangen—welcher noch so hohe Aufstieg endete nicht im Verderben? Darum soll man dann einen großen, überaus strengen Tapas auf sich nehmen, der die Unreinheiten gänzlich zerschmettert.

Word by Word

• aprāpya: without attaining
• aprāpya: Pūrvakāla (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: a- (नञ्) + prāpya (कृदन्त; √āp/आप् with pra-, lyap/क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Absolutive (ktvā/lyap) used as avyaya; 'without attaining'

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana

• kim: why?/what (then)
• kim: Praśna (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: Avyaya-prayoga; interrogative particle 'why?/what then?'

• atyantam: excessively, utterly
• atyantam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atyanta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya; kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (adverb)

• ucchrayī: one who rises high / exalted (person)
• ucchrayī: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ucchraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana; adjective meaning 'rising/high/exalted' (agent/possessor sense)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; niṣedha

• vināśayet: would destroy
• vināśayet: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √naś (नश्) with vi- (causative)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (Optative), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada; causative sense 'would destroy'

• atipramāthi: very violent/tormenting
• atipramāthi: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (अव्यय) + pramāthin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana; adjective to 'tapaḥ': 'very churning/violent/disturbing'

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; samuccaya (conjunction)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; kāla-avyaya (temporal adverb)

• tapaḥ: austerity, penance
• tapaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana

• mahat: great
• mahat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana; adjective to 'tapaḥ'

• sudāruṇam: very dreadful
• sudāruṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + dāruṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana; adjective to 'tapaḥ'

Speaker

Narratorial voice within Revā Khaṇḍa (didactic continuation; precise speaker not stated in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (general)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic on the Narmadā bank performs severe tapas—standing in water, matted hair, rudrākṣa—while visions of crumbling palaces symbolize the ruin of worldly rise without God-attainment.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly rise without realization of the Supreme ends in collapse; lasting good comes from God-centered austerity and inner purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā sacred setting frames the teaching, though this verse itself is a general dharma-tapas instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austere spiritual discipline) is recommended as the means to attain the Lord.