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

苦しみの大海の彼岸に至らんとするなら、この身（この手段）がまだ壊れぬうちに渡れ。後には、変壊と衰滅を免れた身を得ることはまことに難しい。

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.