Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

गन्धमादनमासाद्य कुरुध्वं वचनं मम । नरनारायणौ तत्र तपोदीक्षान्वितौ द्विजौ

Transliteration

gandhamādanamāsādya kurudhvaṃ vacanaṃ mama | naranārāyaṇau tatra tapodīkṣānvitau dvijau

Translation

Parvenus à Gandhamādana, accomplissez mon ordre. Là, les deux sages brāhmanes Nara et Nārāyaṇa sont voués à la discipline consacrée des austérités.

Word by Word

• गन्धमादनम्: Gandhamādana (mountain)
• गन्धमादनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धमादन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• आसाद्य: having reached
• आसाद्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-√सद् (धातु) → आसाद्य (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्)
• Form: अव्ययभावे क्त्वान्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• कुरुध्वम्: do (you all)
• कुरुध्वम्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• वचनम्: command/word
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• नरनारायणौ: Nara and Nārāyaṇa
• नरनारायणौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + नारायण (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• तपोदीक्षान्वितौ: endowed with austerity and initiation
• तपोदीक्षान्वितौ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस् + दीक्षा + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; विशेषण (नरनारायणयोः)

• द्विजौ: the two twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; अप्पोजिशन (नरनारायणौ)

Speaker

Indra (Śakra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gandhamādana (tapo-kṣetra of Nara-Nārāyaṇa)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (addressed as mahīpate)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Himalayan peak with cedar and snow; Indra’s envoys receiving orders to go to Gandhamādana where Nara and Nārāyaṇa sit in unwavering tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Gandhamādana
• Nara
• Nārāyaṇa
• Indra (Śakra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True spiritual discipline (tapo-dīkṣā) draws attention and tests; steadfastness is the hallmark of realized sages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gandhamādana is the sacred setting named here, presented as a powerful tapas-sthāna (place of austerity).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse references tapo-dīkṣā (initiation/vow into austerity), indicating a formal ascetic observance, though no specific rite is detailed.