Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

दुर्लभं सर्वजन्तूनां व्यासतीर्थं नरेश्वर । पीडितो वृद्धभावेन अकल्पोऽहं नृपात्मज

Transliteration

durlabhaṃ sarvajantūnāṃ vyāsatīrthaṃ nareśvara | pīḍito vṛddhabhāvena akalpo'haṃ nṛpātmaja

Translation

Ô seigneur des hommes, le gué sacré de Vyāsa (Vyāsa-tīrtha) est d’une rareté extrême pour tous les êtres. Accablé par le poids de la vieillesse, je ne suis pas apte à l’effort, ô prince.

Word by Word

• दुर्लभम्: difficult to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa / Predicate adjective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् + लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वजन्तूनाम्: of all creatures
• सर्वजन्तूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• व्यासतीर्थम्: Vyāsa-tīrtha
• व्यासतीर्थम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa / Topic
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• नरेश्वर: O lord of men (king)
• नरेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पीडितः: afflicted
• पीडितः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa / Predicate adjective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीड् (धातु) → पीडित (कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• वृद्धभावेन: by/with the condition of old age
• वृद्धभावेन: Karana (Instrument/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध + भाव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अकल्पः: incapable/unfit
• अकल्पः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa / Predicate adjective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• नृपात्मज: O son of a king
• नृपात्मज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + आत्मज (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator/elder speaker addressing a king/prince (Revā Khaṇḍa dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vyāsa-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An aged sage speaks with candor about his infirmity; his body shows the weight of years, yet his face holds inner steadiness; Yudhiṣṭhira listens with compassion and respect.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Vyāsatīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrthas are rare and precious; one should value the opportunity for pilgrimage and sacred contact even amid human limitations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vyāsatīrtha, a revered ford/holy spot connected with sage Vyāsa, within the Revā (Narmadā) sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed in this verse; it emphasizes the rarity of attaining the tīrtha.