Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा मुनिवरं शान्तं ध्यायमानं परं पदम् । प्रादक्षिण्येन सहसा दण्डवत्पतितोऽग्रतः

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā munivaraṃ śāntaṃ dhyāyamānaṃ paraṃ padam | prādakṣiṇyena sahasā daṇḍavatpatito'grataḥ

Translation

Seeing the foremost sage—peaceful and absorbed in meditation on the supreme state—he quickly circumambulated him in pradakṣiṇā and then fell full-length in reverence at his feet.

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• मुनिवरम्: the best sage
• मुनिवरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (वरः मुनिः)

• शान्तम्: peaceful
• शान्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ध्यायमानम्: meditating
• ध्यायमानम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle), आत्मनेपद-भाव, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पदम्: state/abode (highest goal)
• पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रादक्षिण्येन: by circumambulation
• प्रादक्षिण्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रादक्षिण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सहसा: suddenly, quickly
• सहसा: Avyaya (Modifier/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• दण्डवत्: like a staff (prostrate)
• दण्डवत्: Avyaya (Modifier/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दण्डवत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-निबद्ध)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/रीति-वाचक (manner adverb: 'like a staff')

• पतितः: fell down/prostrated
• पतितः: Kriya (Resultant state/क्रिया-फल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अग्रतः: in front
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb: 'in front')

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator describing the scene)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Āśrama-darśana on Revā-tīra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tranquil sage seated in meditation, eyes half-closed, aura of stillness; Dharmasuta circles him clockwise and then lies fully prostrate at his feet; the hermitage is quiet, with riverlight filtering through trees.

Characters & Entities

• muni
• parama-pada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion expresses itself through humility—circumambulation and full prostration before realized sages is upheld as dhārmic conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa context points to the sanctity of the Revā (Narmadā) region, where encounters with sages and tīrtha-dharma are highlighted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pradakṣiṇā (circumambulation) and daṇḍavat-praṇāma (full prostration) as acts of reverence toward a sage.