Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

द्वितीये जन्मनि भवेद्ध्रदस्यानुचरोत्कटः । तथैव ब्रह्मचर्येण सोपवासो जितेन्द्रियः

Transliteration

dvitīye janmani bhaveddhradasyānucarotkaṭaḥ | tathaiva brahmacaryeṇa sopavāso jitendriyaḥ

Translation

In a second birth he becomes a formidable attendant of the lake (tīrtha), and likewise he lives in brahmacarya—fasting and self-controlled.

Word by Word

• द्वितीये: in the second
• द्वितीये: Adhikarana-visheshana (Locative qualifier/अधिकरणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying 'जन्मनि')

• जन्मनि: in (a) birth
• जन्मनि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• भवेत्: would become, may be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• ह्रदस्य: of the lake (Hrada)
• ह्रदस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ह्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• अनुचरः: attendant, follower
• अनुचरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उत्कटः: fierce, formidable
• उत्कटः: Karta-visheshana (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्कट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying 'अनुचरः')

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner adverb)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• ब्रह्मचर्येण: by celibacy, by brahmacarya
• ब्रह्मचर्येण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• स: he
• स: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उपवासः: fasting (one who fasts)
• उपवासः: Karta-visheshana (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); 'सोपवासः' इति स-उपवासः (having fasting)

• जितेन्द्रियः: one who has conquered the senses
• जितेन्द्रियः: Karta-visheshana (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जि (धातु) → जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त) समासान्त विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (Skanda Purāṇa voice) addressing a Pāṇḍava interlocutor (likely Yudhiṣṭhira)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hradā/Kunda associated with Revā-tīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Narādhipa / Pāṇḍava

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An austere guardian-attendant near a lotus-filled lake, wearing simple cloth, holding a staff and water-pot, maintaining vigil; pilgrims approach respectfully.

Characters & Entities

• Hrada (sacred lake)
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit ripens into service: devotion to a tīrtha can manifest as continued ascetic discipline and sacred-site attendance across lives.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred hrada (lake/pond) within the Revā-khaṇḍa tīrtha setting of Āvantya-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Brahmacarya (celibate discipline) combined with upavāsa (fasting) and sense-control.