Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

गंतुं दुःखोदधेः पारं तर यावन्न भिद्यते । अविकारिशरीरत्वं दुष्प्राप्यं वै ततः

Transliteration

gaṃtuṃ duḥkhodadheḥ pāraṃ tara yāvanna bhidyate | avikāriśarīratvaṃ duṣprāpyaṃ vai tataḥ

Translation

Pour atteindre l’autre rive de l’océan de la souffrance, traverse tant que (ce corps, ce moyen) n’est pas encore brisé. Car ensuite, un corps exempt de changement et de déclin est vraiment difficile à obtenir.

Word by Word

• गन्तुम्: to go / to reach
• गन्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive); अव्ययवत् प्रयोग

• दुःखोदधेः: of the ocean of sorrow
• दुःखोदधेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख + उदधि (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/6th); एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (दुःखस्य उदधिः)

• पारम्: the far shore
• पारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); एकवचन

• तर: cross
• तर: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् लकार (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यावत्: as long as / until
• यावत्: Sambandha (Temporal limit/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; यावत्तावत्-सम्बन्धे काल/परिमाणवाचक (until/as long as)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• भिद्यते: is broken / splits
• भिद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग (is broken / gets split)

• अविकारिशरीरत्वम्: unchanging-bodiedness / an unchanging body-state
• अविकारिशरीरत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविकारी + शरीर + त्व (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय + तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अविकारि शरीरम्) + त्व-प्रत्यय (abstract noun: -ness)

• दुष्प्राप्यम्: hard to obtain
• दुष्प्राप्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुस् + प्राप्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom/Acc); एकवचन; कृदन्त (प्राप् धातोः ल्युट्/यत्-भाव: prāpya) उपसर्ग-निषेध (hard to obtain)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक (emphatic particle)

• ततः: therefore / from that
• ततः: Sambandha (Cause/Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (from that/thereafter); हेत्वर्थे/अनन्तरार्थे

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa frame)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast dark ocean labeled ‘duḥkha’ with a fragile boat labeled ‘śarīra’; cracks begin to appear in the hull; a distant luminous shore marked ‘mokṣa’ or ‘pāra’; a pilgrim rows urgently while time (as a shadowy figure) approaches.

Characters & Entities

• Duḥkha
• Śarīra
• Saṃsāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Practice for liberation now—before the body fails—because such a capable human condition is rare and fleeting.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is specified; the verse is an exhortation toward timely spiritual effort.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it prescribes immediate effort to ‘cross’ saṃsāra through dharmic-spiritual practice.