Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

प्लवो नदीनां पतिरङ्गनानां राजा च सद्वृत्तरतः प्रजानाम् । धनं नराणामृतवस्तरूणां गतं गतं यौवनमानयन्ति

Transliteration

plavo nadīnāṃ patiraṅganānāṃ rājā ca sadvṛttarataḥ prajānām | dhanaṃ narāṇāmṛtavastarūṇāṃ gataṃ gataṃ yauvanamānayanti

Translation

La barque est le « seigneur » des rivières ; l’époux est le seigneur des femmes ; et le roi, voué à la bonne conduite, est le seigneur de ses sujets. De même, la richesse est l’appui des hommes, et pour ceux qui traversent les saisons de la vie—surtout les jeunes—elle semble ramener la jeunesse, encore et encore.

Word by Word

• प्लवः: a boat
• प्लवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्लव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• नदीनाम्: of rivers
• नदीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Genitive plural (of rivers)

• पतिः: a lord
• पतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• अङ्गनानाम्: of women
• अङ्गनानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Genitive plural (of women)

• राजा: a king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• सद्वृत्तरतः: devoted to good conduct
• सद्वृत्तरतः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् + वृत्त + रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular; विशेषण (qualifying राजा)

• प्रजानाम्: of the people
• प्रजानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Genitive plural (of subjects/people)

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• नराणाम्: of men
• नराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Genitive plural (of men)

• ऋतवस्तरूणाम्: of youthful ones (lit. ‘seasoned/seasonal youths’)
• ऋतवस्तरूणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋतवत् + तरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Genitive plural; समासे पूर्वपदं विशेषणम् (of the seasonally-blooming youths / youthful ones)

• गतम्: gone
• गतम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Past participle used adverbially with repetition

• गतम्: gone (again)
• गतम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Repetition for emphasis (again and again)

• यौवनम्: youth
• यौवनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यौवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular (object)

• आनयन्ति: bring back, restore
• आनयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-नी (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद — Present, 3rd person plural (bring)

Speaker

Rudra (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nārada-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau of analogies: a boat carrying people across a river; a household couple symbolizing protection; a righteous king among subjects; and finally a prosperous man whose vigor and confidence suggest ‘youth renewed’—all tied back to the Revā tīrtha merit.

Characters & Entities

• Rājā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse uses nīti-style analogies to show how supports (boat, ruler, wealth) uphold life; prosperity is portrayed as enabling vigor and stability.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

It remains within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s Nārada/Nāradeśvara tīrtha discourse, elaborating worldly fruits associated with merit gained there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite is prescribed; it is a phala-śruti style reflection on the utility of wealth gained through dharmic means.