Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

परमार्थमविज्ञाय पर्यटन्ति तमोवृताः । तेषां समागमे पार्थ श्रम एव हि केवलम्

Transliteration

paramārthamavijñāya paryaṭanti tamovṛtāḥ | teṣāṃ samāgame pārtha śrama eva hi kevalam

Translation

Sans connaître la Vérité suprême, ceux que voile l’obscurité errent çà et là. En la compagnie de tels êtres, ô Pārtha, il n’y a que fatigue, rien de plus.

Word by Word

• परमार्थम्: the highest truth/ultimate meaning
• परमार्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—परम + अर्थ (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः, अर्थः ‘परमः अर्थः’)

• अविज्ञाय: not knowing / without understanding
• अविज्ञाय: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि√ज्ञा (धातु) + अव- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययभावे), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; ‘अविज्ञाय’ = न ज्ञात्वा (having not understood)

• पर्यटन्ति: they wander about
• पर्यटन्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि√अट् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• तमोवृताः: covered by darkness (ignorance)
• तमोवृताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक) + वृत (कृदन्त, √वृ ‘to cover’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तमसा वृताः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• समागमे: in association/meeting (with them)
• समागमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समागम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• पार्थ: O Pārtha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (vocative), एकवचन

• श्रमः: effort; toil
• श्रमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: only/indeed
• एव: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (reason/assurance particle)

• केवलम्: mere; alone
• केवलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘श्रमः’ (predicate adjective)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual; vocative 'Pārtha' preserved as in text)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa); verse also addresses 'Pārtha' in the received wording

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A weary band of pilgrims wandering in a dim, dust-laden landscape, contrasted with a serene sage pointing toward a luminous path—symbolizing parama-artha and satsanga.

Characters & Entities

• Pārtha (Arjuna epithet, as addressed in verse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage without understanding and devotion becomes mere travel; spiritual clarity and right company matter.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; it supports the Nandā-hrada māhātmya by contrasting true purpose with aimless roaming.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse gives ethical-spiritual counsel about knowledge and association.