Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

यच्चारब्धं तपस्ताभ्यामात्मानं गन्धमादनम् । ददर्शातेऽखिलं रूपं ब्रह्मणः पुरुषर्षभ

Transliteration

yaccārabdhaṃ tapastābhyāmātmānaṃ gandhamādanam | dadarśāte'khilaṃ rūpaṃ brahmaṇaḥ puruṣarṣabha

Translation

ಹೇ ಪುರುಷರ್ಷಭ! ಅವರು ಇಬ್ಬರೂ ತಪಸ್ಸನ್ನು ಆರಂಭಿಸಿದಾಗ, ತಮ್ಮೊಳಗೇ ಪರಬ್ರಹ್ಮನ ಸಮಗ್ರ ಸ್ವರೂಪವನ್ನು ಕಂಡರು—ಗಂಧಮಾದನ ಪರ್ವತದಂತೆ ಅಚಲವಾಗಿ।

Word by Word

• यत्: which/that (thing)
• यत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (सम्बन्धसूचक relative)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• आरब्धम्: begun/undertaken
• आरब्धम्: Karma (कर्म/that which was begun)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तपः: austerity/penance
• तपः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ताभ्याम्: by those two
• ताभ्याम्: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), द्विवचन

• आत्मानम्: the Self
• आत्मानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गन्धमादनम्: Gandhamādana (name/epithet)
• गन्धमादनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धमादन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (आत्मानम् इति विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन)

• ददर्शाते: the two saw
• ददर्शाते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, द्विवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अखिलम्: entire/complete
• अखिलम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (रूपम् इति विशेषण)

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahman
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• पुरुषर्षभ: O best of men
• पुरुषर्षभ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष + ऋषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पुरुषाणां ऋषभः = bull among men); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta or Skanda depending on the larger Revā Khaṇḍa frame—not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (context) / Gandhamādana (metaphoric anchor)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two ascetics in deep meditation; within their subtle body a vision of Brahman arises—vast, luminous, and unmoving like Gandhamādana; cosmic form hinted yet serene.

Characters & Entities

• Brahman
• Gandhamādana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity culminates in inner realization: the seeker perceives Brahman within, becoming steady and unmoved like a mountain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is philosophical and does not directly name a Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha; the broader Revā Khaṇḍa context typically frames such teachings within Narmadā sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; it highlights tapas (austerity) as the means leading to knowledge.