Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

आवामप्यविमुंचंतौ सदा त्वत्पादपंकजम् । ध्यातव्यं मनुजैः सर्वैस्तव संनिधिमागतैः

Transliteration

āvāmapyavimuṃcaṃtau sadā tvatpādapaṃkajam | dhyātavyaṃ manujaiḥ sarvaistava saṃnidhimāgataiḥ

Translation

Nous non plus, nous n’abandonnons jamais tes pieds de lotus. Ainsi, tous ceux qui sont parvenus en ta présence doivent sans cesse méditer tes pieds de lotus.

Word by Word

• āvām: we two
• āvām: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), द्विवचन (dual), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ (also/even)

• avimuñcantau: not abandoning (we two)
• avimuñcantau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + muñc (धातु) + a- (नञ्-उपसर्ग/निषेध)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), पुल्लिङ्ग (masc.), प्रथमा द्विवचन (Nom. dual); धातु: मुच् (to release), उपसर्ग: वि-, निषेध: अ-

• sadā: always
• sadā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• tvat: your
• tvat: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), षष्ठी एकवचन (Gen. sg.) (समासपूर्वपद-रूप)

• pāda: foot
• pāda: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masc.), समासपूर्वपद (compound member)

• paṅkajam: lotus
• paṅkajam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṅkaja (प्रातिपदिक) [paṅka + ja]
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut.), द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc. sg.); समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (paṅkāt jātaṃ = born from mud)

• tvatpādapaṅkajam: the lotus of your feet
• tvatpādapaṅkajam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvat (युष्मद्) + pāda (पाद) + paṅkaja (पङ्कज)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut.), द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc. sg.); समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (your-foot-lotus = lotus of your feet)

• dhyātavyam: should be meditated upon
• dhyātavyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhyai (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligative), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neut.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom./Acc. sg.); अर्थ: ‘to be meditated upon/should be meditated’

• manujaiḥ: by men
• manujaiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manuja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masc.), तृतीया बहुवचन (Instr. pl.)

• sarvaiḥ: by all
• sarvaiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masc.), तृतीया बहुवचन (Instr. pl.); विशेषण (qualifier) of manujaiḥ

• tava: of you
• tava: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), षष्ठी एकवचन (Gen. sg.)

• saṃnidhim: presence, proximity
• saṃnidhim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃnidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masc.), द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc. sg.)

• āgataiḥ: by those who have come
• āgataiḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग (masc.), तृतीया बहुवचन (Instr. pl.); अर्थ: ‘having come/arrived’

Speaker

Viṣṇu (speaking on behalf of ‘we’, likely including Brahmā, in devotion to Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aruṇācala (Arunachalesvara kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two exalted beings (implied: Viṣṇu and/or divine attendants) stand in reverence before Śiva’s presence at Aruṇācala, hands folded, speaking of never abandoning His lotus-feet; the hill looms as a sacred form behind the shrine-lamp glow.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Viṣṇu
• Brahmā (implied by prior verse)
• Aruṇācala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True pilgrimage culminates in steady remembrance—meditation on the Lord’s feet—rather than mere physical arrival.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Aruṇācala, framed as the place of divine saṃnidhi (living presence).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhyāna (meditation) on Śiva’s lotus-feet for all who come into his sacred presence.