Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

वक्तारो वायुतेनापि बुद्धीनामयुतायुतैः । गुणनिर्वर्णनं नाथ कर्तुं तव न शक्यते

Transliteration

vaktāro vāyutenāpi buddhīnāmayutāyutaiḥ | guṇanirvarṇanaṃ nātha kartuṃ tava na śakyate

Translation

Quand bien même il y aurait des orateurs aussi nombreux que les vents, pourvus d’intelligences par dizaines de millions, ô Seigneur, il ne serait pas possible d’énumérer pleinement Tes qualités.

Word by Word

• vaktāraḥ: speakers
• vaktāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• vāyutena: by the wind
• vāyutena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• buddhīnām: of intellects
• buddhīnām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• ayutāyutaiḥ: by countless (myriads upon myriads)
• ayutāyutaiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अयुत + अयुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (अयुतानाम् अयुतैः = by tens-of-thousands of tens-of-thousands)

• guṇa-nirvarṇanam: description of (your) qualities
• guṇa-nirvarṇanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण + निर्वर्णन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गुणानां निर्वर्णनम्)

• nātha: O Lord
• nātha: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• kartum: to do
• kartum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Infinitive purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), अव्ययवत् प्रयोग

• tava: of you/your
• tava: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• śakyate: is possible
• śakyate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Apsarās, collectively

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nātha (Hari)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Personified winds (vāyus) as many translucent figures carrying sound; countless sages/apsarās with radiant foreheads attempt to chant; the Lord’s aura expands beyond the frame, implying inexhaustibility.

Characters & Entities

• Nātha (the Lord)
• Guṇas (divine qualities)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

God’s virtues are inexhaustible; devotion grows through continual remembrance rather than claiming complete comprehension.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No; the emphasis is on divine attributes within the Revā-khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.