Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

तस्य तत्त्वेन रक्षा च त्वया कार्या सदैव हि । विनाशी नैव कर्तव्यो यावत्कालस्य पर्ययः

Transliteration

tasya tattvena rakṣā ca tvayā kāryā sadaiva hi | vināśī naiva kartavyo yāvatkālasya paryayaḥ

Translation

„Darum musst du ihn wahrhaftig und immerdar schützen. Bewirke nicht sein Verderben, bis sich die Wendung der Zeit, der bestimmte Lauf, vollendet hat.“

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/it
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (Masculine/Neuter), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्त्वेन: by truth; in reality
• तत्त्वेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); प्रकार/हेतु (by the true principle/according to reality)

• रक्षा: protection
• रक्षा: Karma (Object understood with kāryā/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• कार्या: must be done
• कार्या: Kriya (Obligation predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विधेय (to be done)

• सदैव: always
• सदैव: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा + एव (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये अव्यय (particle: for/indeed)

• विनाशी: destructible; to be destroyed
• विनाशी: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (Object complement/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विनाशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• एव: at all, indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• कर्तव्यः: should be made/done
• कर्तव्यः: Kriya (Obligation predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विधेय (to be made/done)

• यावत्: as long as, until
• यावत्: Sambandha (Temporal connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक-अव्यय (until/as long as)

• कालस्य: of time
• कालस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• पर्ययः: turning; change; course
• पर्ययः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Mahāmuni / Vipra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A firm instruction scene: the counselor emphasizes continuous protection and forbids destruction until time’s cycle completes; the woman listens with conflicted emotion.

Characters & Entities

• Kāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma prioritizes rakṣā (protection) and forbids deliberate destruction; one should allow kāla and daiva to unfold while acting with compassion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it is ethical instruction within the Revā-khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual is described; the prescription is moral—protect and do not destroy.