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Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

तावत्कर्ममयी वृत्तिर्ब्रह्म वृक्षांतराभवेत् । अवांतराणि पर्वाणि ज्ञेयानि मुनिभिः सदा

tāvatkarmamayī vṛttirbrahma vṛkṣāṃtarābhavet | avāṃtarāṇi parvāṇi jñeyāni munibhiḥ sadā

Tant que l’élan demeure façonné par le karma, Brahman est comme «entre les branches d’un arbre» : on ne l’entrevoit qu’en partie. Aussi les sages doivent-ils toujours connaître les étapes intermédiaires (parvan).

तावत्so long/that much
तावत्:
Adhikarana (Extent/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतावत् (अव्यय)
Formपरिमाण/अवधि-वाचक-अव्यय (so long/that much)
कर्ममयीconsisting of action
कर्ममयी:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कर्ममयः = कर्मेण मयः/filled with action)
वृत्तिःactivity/condition
वृत्तिः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootवृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
ब्रह्मBrahman
ब्रह्म:
Samanadhikarana (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
वृक्ष-अन्तराan interval between (branches of) a tree
वृक्ष-अन्तरा:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootवृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वृक्षस्य अन्तरम् = interval/space between branches)
अभवेत्would be/may become
अभवेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootभू (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन
अवांतराणिintermediate/subsidiary
अवांतराणि:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootअवांतर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण
पर्वाणिstages/sections
पर्वाणि:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootपर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन
ज्ञेयानिto be known
ज्ञेयानि:
Vidhi (Injunctive sense/विधि)
TypeVerb
Rootज्ञा (धातु)
Formतव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/तव्यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; कर्मणि-अर्थ (to be known)
मुनिभिःby sages
मुनिभिः:
Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootमुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन
सदाalways
सदा:
Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसदा (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya didactic narration)

Scene: A seeker beneath a vast sacred tree glimpses a radiant, formless Brahman-light between dense branches; sages point to stepping-stones or ‘parvans’ along a path leading from the shaded grove to open sky.

B
Brahman
M
Munis (sages)

FAQs

As long as karma-driven tendencies persist, realization remains partial; discernment of stages of practice is essential.

No particular sacred site is named; the teaching functions as guidance for pilgrims and seekers within the Mahātmya.

None explicitly; it recommends understanding progressive stages of sādhana.