Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

दिव्ये वर्षशते पूर्णे श्रान्तोऽहं नृपसत्तम । ध्यातुं समारभं देवं महदर्णवतारणम्

Transliteration

divye varṣaśate pūrṇe śrānto'haṃ nṛpasattama | dhyātuṃ samārabhaṃ devaṃ mahadarṇavatāraṇam

Translation

Quand cent années divines furent accomplies, j’étais épuisé, ô meilleur des rois ; alors je commençai à méditer le Seigneur, le Sauveur qui fait traverser le grand océan.

Word by Word

• दिव्ये: divine
• दिव्ये: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (varṣaśate)

• वर्षशते: in a hundred years
• वर्षशते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्षशत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः ‘वर्षाणां शतम्’

• पूर्णे: when completed
• पूर्णे: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘पूर्णे (सति)’—सप्तमी-absolute

• श्रान्तः: tired, exhausted
• श्रान्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नृप-सत्तम: O best of kings
• नृप-सत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘श्रेष्ठो नृपः’

• ध्यातुम्: to meditate
• ध्यातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive); ‘ध्यातुम्’ = to meditate

• समारभम्: I began
• समारभम्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-रभ् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महत्-अर्णव-तारणम्: the deliverer across the great ocean
• महत्-अर्णव-तारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक) + तारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘महतः अर्णवस्य तारणम्’ (savior/crosser of the great ocean)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahārṇava-tāraṇa (Lord as ferryman across the great ocean)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpottama (best of kings)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After a divine hundred years adrift, the exhausted sage steadies himself and begins meditation on the Lord, envisioned as the savior who carries beings across the vast ocean.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Deva (the saving Lord)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In extremity and exhaustion, dhyāna on the saving Lord is presented as the highest refuge and means of crossing fear and suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the emphasis is on inner practice (meditation) and divine protection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhyāna (meditation) upon the Lord who grants deliverance.