Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

गङ्गोवाच । कुरुष्व विपुलं विन्ध्यं तपस्त्वं शङ्करं प्रति । ततः प्राप्स्यसि स्वं स्थानं पन्नगत्वं ममाज्ञया

Transliteration

gaṅgovāca | kuruṣva vipulaṃ vindhyaṃ tapastvaṃ śaṅkaraṃ prati | tataḥ prāpsyasi svaṃ sthānaṃ pannagatvaṃ mamājñayā

Translation

Gaṅgā dit : «Accomplis une austérité (tapas) abondante au puissant Vindhya, tournée vers Śaṅkara. Alors, par mon ordre, tu retrouveras ta demeure et ta nature de serpent».

Word by Word

• गङ्गा: Ganga
• गङ्गा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (nom. sg.)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• कुरुष्व: do (for yourself)/perform
• कुरुष्व: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम् (कुरुष्व)

• विपुलम्: abundant/great
• विपुलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (acc. sg.)

• विन्ध्यम्: Vindhya (mountain)
• विन्ध्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विन्ध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (acc. sg.)

• तपः: austerity/penance
• तपः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (acc. sg.)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (nom. sg.)

• शङ्करम्: Shankara (Śiva)
• शङ्करम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (acc. sg.)

• प्रति: towards/for
• प्रति: Sampradana/Direction (सम्प्रदान/दिशा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय; कर्मप्रवचनीय (towards/for)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: then/from that)

• प्राप्स्यसि: you will obtain
• प्राप्स्यसि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• स्वम्: your own
• स्वम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम-विशेषण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (acc. sg.)

• स्थानम्: place/state
• स्थानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (acc. sg.)

• पन्नगत्वम्: serpent-hood (state of being a serpent)
• पन्नगत्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पन्नग-त्व (प्रातिपदिक; त्व-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (acc. sg.)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (gen. sg.)

• आज्ञया: by (my) command
• आज्ञया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (instr. sg.)

Speaker

Gaṅgā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vindhya-tapas-sthāna (within Revā/Vindhya sacred complex)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The nāga (serpent being)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gaṅgā, personified as a radiant goddess rising from the river, instructs a humbled nāga to go to the Vindhya and perform severe austerities to Śaṅkara; the mountain looms in the distance as destiny.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Vindhya
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Pannaga (serpent)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Penance directed to Śiva is presented as a means of purification and restoration, transforming misfortune into spiritual progress.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vindhya is highlighted as an auspicious setting for tapas, within the broader Revā Khaṇḍa landscape that culminates in Revā tīrtha instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) devoted to Śaṅkara at Vindhya is explicitly prescribed.