Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

बहवस्तं न जानन्ति महामोहसमन्विताः । देहस्थमिव सर्वेषां परमानन्दरूपिणम्

Transliteration

bahavastaṃ na jānanti mahāmohasamanvitāḥ | dehasthamiva sarveṣāṃ paramānandarūpiṇam

Translation

Nombreux sont ceux qui, enveloppés d’une grande illusion, ne Le reconnaissent pas—Lui, la Béatitude suprême—bien qu’Il demeure, pour ainsi dire, au-dedans du corps de tous les êtres.

Word by Word

• बहवः: many (people)
• बहवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) बहुवचनम्

• तम्: him/that (tīrtha/essence)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः (negation particle)

• जानन्ति: know
• जानन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present) परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः बहुवचनम्

• महामोहसमन्विताः: endowed with great delusion
• महामोहसमन्विताः: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महामोह-समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st) बहुवचनम्; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (महामोहेन समन्विताः)

• देहस्थम्: as if located in the body
• देहस्थम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देह-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचनम्; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (देहे स्थितम्)

• इव: as if/like
• इव: Upamā (उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th) बहुवचनम्

• परमानन्दरूपिणम्: one whose nature is supreme bliss
• परमानन्दरूपिणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम-आनन्द-रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd) एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारय-प्रायः (परमः आनन्दः यस्य रूपम्)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual, Revā Khaṇḍa narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative tableau: beings of various kinds (humans, ascetics, householders) carry the ‘body’ as a temple; within, a subtle luminous presence remains unseen by the deluded.

Characters & Entities

• Paramānanda (Supreme Bliss)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Divine/Self is present within all beings, but delusion prevents recognition; spiritual knowledge dispels this.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding passage belongs to the Candrahāsa tīrtha praise within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it emphasizes inner realization.