Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

वक्तव्यश्च सहस्राक्षो नास्माकं भोगकारणात् । तपश्चर्या न वाप्राप्यफलं प्राप्तुमभीप्सता

Transliteration

vaktavyaśca sahasrākṣo nāsmākaṃ bhogakāraṇāt | tapaścaryā na vāprāpyaphalaṃ prāptumabhīpsatā

Translation

Et l’on doit dire à Sahasrākṣa (Indra) : ce n’est point pour notre jouissance, ni par désir d’obtenir, par l’austérité et les observances, des fruits encore inacquis.

Word by Word

• वक्तव्यः: to be spoken / should be addressed
• वक्तव्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वक्तव्य (कृदन्त; √वच् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण; क्तव्य-प्रत्यय (gerundive/obligatory)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• सहस्राक्षः: Sahasrākṣa (Indra, thousand-eyed)
• सहस्राक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र-अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सहस्राणि अक्षाणि यस्य) इति नाम; संबोधनार्थे अपि प्रयुज्यते

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• अस्माकम्: of us
• अस्माकम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम; ‘of us/our’

• भोगकारणात्: from/because of the cause of enjoyment
• भोगकारणात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोग-कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भावे तत्पुरुष; अपादानार्थे (from/because of)

• तपःचर्या: austerity-practice
• तपःचर्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्-चर्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तपसः चर्या)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: or)

• अप्राप्य: without obtaining
• अप्राप्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अ-प्राप्य (कृदन्त; √प्राप् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) with नञ्-प्रत्यय (negation); ‘not having obtained’

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• प्राप्तुम्: to obtain
• प्राप्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्राप्तुम् (कृदन्त; √प्राप् धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive); ‘to obtain’

• अभीप्सता: by one who desires
• अभीप्सता: Karana (Instrument/Agentive means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभीप्सत् (कृदन्त; √आप्/ईप्स् धातु-भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle) ‘desiring’; करण/सहकारि-भावे

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (speaker instructs what message should be conveyed to Indra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm, authoritative ascetic/divine figure addresses Indra (Sahasrākṣa), rejecting pleasure-seeking and fruit-hunting austerity; the setting suggests a riverbank hermitage near Revā.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Sahasrākṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma emphasizes purity of intention: actions should not be driven by pleasure-seeking or fruit-hunting.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā-kṣetra setting is implicit; this verse primarily teaches motive and dharma rather than praising a site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general reference to tapaścaryā (austerities) appears, but no specific rite is prescribed.