Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तत्र तीर्थे तपस्तप्त्वा सङ्ग्रामे देवदानवैः । जयं प्राप्तौ महात्मानौ नरनारायणावुभौ

Transliteration

tatra tīrthe tapastaptvā saṅgrāme devadānavaiḥ | jayaṃ prāptau mahātmānau naranārāyaṇāvubhau

Translation

En ce tīrtha, après avoir accompli des austérités (tapas), les deux grandes âmes, Nara et Nārāyaṇa, remportèrent la victoire dans le combat contre les devas et les dānavas.

Word by Word

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb: there)

• tīrthe: at the sacred ford
• tīrthe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• tapaḥ: austerity, penance
• tapaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘तपः’ (accusative singular form)

• taptvā: having performed (austerity)
• taptvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tap तप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) ‘तप्त्वा’ = ‘having performed austerity’

• saṅgrāme: in battle
• saṅgrāme: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṅgrāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• deva-dānavaiḥ: with the gods and Dānavas
• deva-dānavaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/Association/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः

• jayam: victory
• jayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• prāptau: attained
• prāptau: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp आप् (धातु) → prāpta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past active participle used predicatively), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), द्विवचन; ‘(तौ) प्राप्तौ’ = ‘attained’

• mahā-ātmānau: the two great-souled ones
• mahā-ātmānau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), द्विवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् आत्मा यस्य)

• nara-nārāyaṇau: Nara and Nārāyaṇa
• nara-nārāyaṇau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः

• ubhau: both
• ubhau: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), द्विवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies the pair)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Yojaneśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the tīrtha, Nara–Nārāyaṇa perform austerities; behind them a stylized battlefield of devas and dānavas; the sages’ radiance subdues conflict, culminating in victory.

Characters & Entities

• Nara
• Nārāyaṇa
• Devas
• Dānavas
• Yojaneśvara Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas performed at a consecrated tīrtha is portrayed as a force that grants victory and spiritual authority even amid cosmic conflict.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Yojaneśvara tīrtha, where Nara and Nārāyaṇa’s austerities are said to bear extraordinary fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied practice is tapas (austerity) undertaken at the tīrtha as a means to gain strength, merit, and success.