Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

भवजलधिगतानां द्वन्द्ववाताहतानां सुतदुहितृकलत्रत्राणभारार्दितानाम् । विषमविषयतोये मज्जतामप्लवानां भवति शरणमेको विष्णुपोतो नराणाम्

Transliteration

bhavajaladhigatānāṃ dvandvavātāhatānāṃ sutaduhitṛkalatratrāṇabhārārditānām | viṣamaviṣayatoye majjatāmaplavānāṃ bhavati śaraṇameko viṣṇupoto narāṇām

Translation

Pour ceux qui sont tombés dans l’océan du devenir mondain, battus par les vents des dualités, accablés par le fardeau de protéger fils, fille et épouse—qui se noient dans les eaux perfides des objets des sens sans aucun radeau—il n’est qu’un refuge pour les hommes : la barque de Viṣṇu.

Word by Word

• bhava-jaladhi-gatānām: of those who have entered the ocean of saṃsāra
• bhava-jaladhi-gatānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhava (प्रातिपदिक) + jaladhi (प्रातिपदिक) + gata (गम्-धातु, क्त/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — Genitive plural; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘gata’ = past passive participle; ‘भव-जलधौ गत’ = gone into the ocean of worldly existence

• dvandva-vāta-āhatānām: of those battered by the winds of dualities
• dvandva-vāta-āhatānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvandva (प्रातिपदिक) + vāta (प्रातिपदिक) + āhata (हन्-धातु, क्त/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — Genitive plural; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘āhata’ = struck/afflicted

• suta-duhitṛ-kalatra-trāṇa-bhāra-arditānām: of those oppressed by the burden of protecting son, daughter, and wife
• suta-duhitṛ-kalatra-trāṇa-bhāra-arditānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: suta (प्रातिपदिक) + duhitṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + kalatra (प्रातिपदिक) + trāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāra (प्रातिपदिक) + ardita (अर्द्-धातु, क्त/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — Genitive plural; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘ardita’ = oppressed; ‘त्राण-भार’ = burden of protecting

• viṣama-viṣaya-toye: in the perilous waters of sense-objects
• viṣama-viṣaya-toye: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣama (प्रातिपदिक) + viṣaya (प्रातिपदिक) + toya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative singular; ‘viṣaya-toya’ = waters of sense-objects

• majjatām: (of) those who are sinking
• majjatām: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: majj (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद — 3rd person plural present active; शतृदन्त-सम्भाव्य अर्थे ‘those who are sinking’ (used as present participial sense)

• aplavānām: of those without a raft
• aplavānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-plava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — Genitive plural; नञ्-समास/नकार-प्रत्यय: ‘without a raft’

• bhavati: becomes/is
• bhavati: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद — 3rd person singular present active

• śaraṇam: refuge
• śaraṇam: Karma/Predicative complement (कर्म/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — Nom./Acc. singular; here predicate nominative

• ekaḥ: alone, one
• ekaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• viṣṇu-potaḥ: Viṣṇu, the boat
• viṣṇu-potaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + pota (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular; ‘Viṣṇu as a boat/raft’

• narāṇām: of men/people
• narāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — Genitive plural

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (contextually within Mārkaṇḍeya’s narration in Revā Khaṇḍa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A royal interlocutor / pilgrims (implied audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A storm-tossed ocean labeled 'bhava'; people struggle amid waves shaped like sense-objects; winds personified as 'dvandva'; a radiant boat named 'Viṣṇu-pota' approaches, with Viṣṇu as helmsman holding śaṅkha-cakra-gadā, extending a hand of refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Amid worldly turmoil and obligations, surrender to Viṣṇu is presented as the sure means of rescue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the verse gives a universal teaching embedded in the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a ritual act; it prescribes śaraṇāgati—taking refuge in Viṣṇu.