Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

निविष्टैकाग्रमनसा सर्वान्माण्डव्यकोऽब्रवीत्

Transliteration

niviṣṭaikāgramanasā sarvānmāṇḍavyako'bravīt

Translation

Assis, l’esprit fixé d’un seul point, Māṇḍavya s’adressa à eux tous.

Word by Word

• निविष्ट: seated
• निविष्ट: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + विश् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘seated’ (qualifying Māṇḍavyaka)

• एकाग्रमनसा: with a concentrated mind
• एकाग्रमनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकाग्र + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग ‘मनस्’, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; कर्मधारय—‘एकाग्रं मनः यस्य/येन’ → ‘with a focused mind’

• सर्वान्: all (of them)
• सर्वान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• माण्डव्यकः: Māṇḍavyaka
• माण्डव्यकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माण्डव्यक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual), introducing Māṇḍavya’s speech

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Māṇḍavya sits (or reclines) with unwavering, concentrated gaze, addressing the gathered sages; the composition emphasizes stillness and focused attention.

Characters & Entities

• Māṇḍavya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True instruction is grounded in inner steadiness—ekāgratā (one-pointedness) precedes dharmic teaching.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is the Revā (Narmadā) sacred region in the Āvantya Khaṇḍa, though this verse itself is introductory rather than descriptive of a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse emphasizes mental discipline (focused mind) as the basis for discourse.