Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । अधिष्ठानं समिच्छन्ति ह्यचलं निर्बले सति । संसारे सर्वभूतानां तृणबिन्दुवदस्थिरे

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | adhiṣṭhānaṃ samicchanti hyacalaṃ nirbale sati | saṃsāre sarvabhūtānāṃ tṛṇabinduvadasthire

Translation

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya dit : Quand la force fait défaut, les êtres de ce monde recherchent un appui immobile ; car dans le saṃsāra, l’état de toutes les créatures est instable, tel une goutte sur un brin d’herbe.

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: the revered Markandeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीमार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अधिष्ठानम्: a support/abode
• अधिष्ठानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिष्ठान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• समिच्छन्ति: they desire/seek
• समिच्छन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Discourse (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (indeed)

• अचलम्: immovable/steady
• अचलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अधिष्ठानम्)

• निर्बले: when (one is) weak
• निर्बले: Adhikarana (Location/Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (संसारे/लोके—when (it is) weak)

• सति: being/when it is
• सति: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (Present Active Participle), सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• संसारे: in worldly existence
• संसारे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• सर्वभूतानाम्: of all beings
• सर्वभूतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (सर्वाणि भूतानि)

• तृणबिन्दुवत्: like a drop on grass
• तृणबिन्दुवत्: Upamana (Simile/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तृण + बिन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमावाचक (वत्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः)

• अस्थिरे: in the unstable (state/world)
• अस्थिरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस्थिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (संसारे—‘in the unstable (world)’)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) as acala-āśraya (stable refuge)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (within the Mahābhārata-style frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya explains the fragility of worldly existence: beings like dew-drops on grass seek an unmoving refuge; the riverbank hermitage becomes a visual metaphor for stability.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Saṃsāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly life is fragile and shifting; therefore one should seek a stable refuge—dharma and devotion—especially through holy places and disciplined living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is general in tone, but in context it supports the Revā-khaṇḍa’s praise of the Narmadā region as a steady refuge for tapas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is stated; it provides the doctrinal basis for undertaking tapas and seeking dharmic refuge.