Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अनिवर्तिका गतिस्तस्य प्रोवाचेति शिवः स्वयम्

Transliteration

anivartikā gatistasya provāceti śivaḥ svayam

Translation

Śiva lui-même a proclamé : «Sa voie est irréversible» ; il ne revient pas vers des états inférieurs.

Word by Word

• अनिवर्तिका: non-returning, irreversible
• अनिवर्तिका: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनिवर्तिका (प्रातिपदिक; a-निवर्तिका)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण of ‘गतिः’

• गतिः: course/destination
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रोवाच: declared, said
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग-पूर्वक (प्र + वच्)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vakya-parisamapti/Quotative (इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-vishesana (Emphasis/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मवाचक (reflexive/emphatic adverb)

Speaker

Narrator quoting Śiva (Śiva as ultimate authority for the promise)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāga-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva’s authoritative declaration hovering over the tīrtha: a luminous Śiva or liṅga radiance blessing the departing soul, symbolizing irreversible ascent.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest fruits of a sacred place are validated by Śiva’s own word—liberation is portrayed as certain and non-reversing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement seals the merit of the previously described Revā Khaṇḍa tīrtha; the exact name lies in the surrounding verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new ritual is prescribed here; it is a phalaśruti-style confirmation of the result.