Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

एवं ज्ञात्वा तु विधिना वर्तितव्यं द्विजातिभिः । परं ब्रह्म जपद्भिश्च वार्तितव्यं मुहुर्मुहुः

Transliteration

evaṃ jñātvā tu vidhinā vartitavyaṃ dvijātibhiḥ | paraṃ brahma japadbhiśca vārtitavyaṃ muhurmuhuḥ

Translation

Sachant cela, les deux-fois-nés doivent se conduire selon la règle prescrite. Et ceux qui récitent en japa le Brahman suprême doivent le méditer encore et encore, sans relâche.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having known’

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle/सम्बन्धसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; emphasis/contrast)

• विधिना: by the prescribed rule, duly
• विधिना: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘by/according to the rule’

• वर्तितव्यम्: should be practiced/observed
• वर्तितव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (तव्यत्), कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘is to be conducted/one should behave’

• द्विजातिभिः: by the twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• द्विजातिभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि + जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (द्वि+जाति = द्विजाति); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (of ब्रह्म)

• ब्रह्म: Brahman, the Absolute
• ब्रह्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• जपद्भिः: by chanters, by those reciting
• जपद्भिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त/active present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; ‘by those who are chanting’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordinator/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/coordination conjunction)

• वार्तितव्यम्: should be practiced/engaged in
• वार्तितव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (तव्यत्), कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘is to be done repeatedly/one should engage’

• मुहुः: again and again
• मुहुः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverb/कालक्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: muhuḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण/adverb of time)

• मुहुः: repeatedly
• मुहुः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverb/कालक्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: muhuḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरुक्ति; emphasis)

Speaker

Nandī (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-tīra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined dvija seated on kuśa grass at the Narmadā bank, rosary in hand, eyes half-closed, repeatedly contemplating Parabrahman; the river flows quietly with a small Śiva-liṅga shrine nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Brahman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right knowledge must become right living; japa should be joined with continual remembrance and disciplined conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā context frames the instruction as part of tīrtha-dharma—how pilgrims and practitioners should live.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa of the Supreme Brahman is prescribed, along with vidhinā-vṛtti—conduct according to scriptural/ritual rule.