Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

प्लवो नदीनां पतिरङ्गनानां राजा च सद्वृत्तरतः प्रजानाम् । धनं नराणामृतवस्तरूणां गतं गतं यौवनमानयन्ति

Transliteration

plavo nadīnāṃ patiraṅganānāṃ rājā ca sadvṛttarataḥ prajānām | dhanaṃ narāṇāmṛtavastarūṇāṃ gataṃ gataṃ yauvanamānayanti

Translation

Das Boot ist der «Herr» der Flüsse; der Gatte ist der Herr der Frauen; und der König, der an guter Lebensführung hängt, ist der Herr seiner Untertanen. Ebenso ist Reichtum die Stütze der Menschen; und für jene, die die Jahreszeiten des Lebens durchschreiten—zumal die Jungen—bringt er gleichsam die Jugend immer wieder zurück.

Word by Word

• प्लवः: a boat
• प्लवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्लव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• नदीनाम्: of rivers
• नदीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Genitive plural (of rivers)

• पतिः: a lord
• पतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• अङ्गनानाम्: of women
• अङ्गनानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Genitive plural (of women)

• राजा: a king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• सद्वृत्तरतः: devoted to good conduct
• सद्वृत्तरतः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् + वृत्त + रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular; विशेषण (qualifying राजा)

• प्रजानाम्: of the people
• प्रजानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Genitive plural (of subjects/people)

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• नराणाम्: of men
• नराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Genitive plural (of men)

• ऋतवस्तरूणाम्: of youthful ones (lit. ‘seasoned/seasonal youths’)
• ऋतवस्तरूणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋतवत् + तरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Genitive plural; समासे पूर्वपदं विशेषणम् (of the seasonally-blooming youths / youthful ones)

• गतम्: gone
• गतम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Past participle used adverbially with repetition

• गतम्: gone (again)
• गतम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Repetition for emphasis (again and again)

• यौवनम्: youth
• यौवनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यौवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular (object)

• आनयन्ति: bring back, restore
• आनयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-नी (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद — Present, 3rd person plural (bring)

Speaker

Rudra (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nārada-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau of analogies: a boat carrying people across a river; a household couple symbolizing protection; a righteous king among subjects; and finally a prosperous man whose vigor and confidence suggest ‘youth renewed’—all tied back to the Revā tīrtha merit.

Characters & Entities

• Rājā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse uses nīti-style analogies to show how supports (boat, ruler, wealth) uphold life; prosperity is portrayed as enabling vigor and stability.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

It remains within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s Nārada/Nāradeśvara tīrtha discourse, elaborating worldly fruits associated with merit gained there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed; it is a phala-śruti style reflection on the utility of wealth gained through dharmic means.