Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

बहुभिर्यक्षरक्षोभिर्मायाचारिप्रचारिभिः । छन्दिता मम जानद्भिर्भावमन्तर्गतं हरौ

Transliteration

bahubhiryakṣarakṣobhirmāyācāripracāribhiḥ | chanditā mama jānadbhirbhāvamantargataṃ harau

Translation

ខ្ញុំត្រូវបានយក្ស និងរាក្សសជាច្រើន បោកបញ្ឆោត—អ្នកដើរលេងដោយមន្តអាគម និងមាយា—ទោះបីពួកគេដឹងច្បាស់ថា សេចក្តីភក្តិខាងក្នុងរបស់ខ្ញុំបានចងជាប់នៅលើ ហរិ (វិṣṇុ) ក៏ដោយ។

Word by Word

• bahubhiḥ: by many
• bahubhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (yakṣarakṣobhiḥ इति)

• yakṣa-rakṣobhiḥ: by yakṣas and rākṣasas
• yakṣa-rakṣobhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yakṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + rakṣas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (yakṣāśca rakṣāṃsi ca)

• māyā-cāri-pracāribhiḥ: by those who move and operate through illusion
• māyā-cāri-pracāribhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक) + cārin (प्रातिपदिक) + pracārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः—‘मायायां चरन्ति, प्रचारं कुर्वन्ति’ इति; विशेषणम् (yakṣarakṣobhiḥ)

• chanditā: deceived, deluded
• chanditā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √chad (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तम्; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘अहं’ (अध्याहृत) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; अर्थः ‘वञ्चिता/छन्ना’

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• jānadbhiḥ: by (those) knowing
• jānadbhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jñā (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्तम् (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (yakṣarakṣobhiḥ)

• bhāvam: the intention, state, feeling
• bhāvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• antargatam: hidden within
• antargatam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: antar-gata (प्रातिपदिक; अन्तर् + गत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (antar gataḥ) विशेषणम् (bhāvam)

• harau: in Hari (Viṣṇu)
• harau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified in this verse (contextually within Mārkaṇḍeya’s narration in Adhyāya 194)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Illusionists—yakṣas and rākṣasas—cast deceptive appearances to mislead a devotee whose heart remains fixed on Hari; the scene contrasts dark sorcery with a steady inner light.

Characters & Entities

• Yakṣa
• Rākṣasa
• Hari (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when illusion and fear arise externally, steadfast inner devotion to Hari remains the true refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse itself is narrative; the wider passage belongs to the Revā (Narmadā) sacred geography in the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated here; it sets the devotional context that later verses connect to worship and tīrtha practices.