Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

संसारार्णवमग्नानां नराणां पापकर्मिणाम् । नैवोद्धर्ता जगन्नाथं विना नारायणं परः

Transliteration

saṃsārārṇavamagnānāṃ narāṇāṃ pāpakarmiṇām | naivoddhartā jagannāthaṃ vinā nārāyaṇaṃ paraḥ

Translation

സംസാരസമുദ്രത്തിൽ മുങ്ങി പാപകർമ്മഭാരമുള്ള മനുഷ്യർക്കു ജഗന്നാഥനായ നാരായണനെക്കാൾ മറ്റൊരു പരമ രക്ഷകൻ ഇല്ല।

Word by Word

• संसारार्णवमग्नानाम्: of those sunk in the ocean of worldly existence
• संसारार्णवमग्नानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संसार-अर्णव-मग्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (संसाररूपे अर्णवे मग्नाः) — नराणाम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• नराणाम्: of men
• नराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• पापकर्मिणाम्: of evil-doers
• पापकर्मिणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप-कर्मिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (पापं कर्म यस्य/येषाम्) — नराणाम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphasis: indeed/only)

• उद्धर्ता: rescuer
• उद्धर्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्+हृ (धातु) → उद्धर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक-नाम (rescuer)

• जगन्नाथम्: Jagannātha (Lord of the world)
• जगन्नाथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत्-नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (जगतः नाथः)

• विना: without
• विना: Apadana (Exclusion/वियोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश-अव्यय; वियोगार्थक (without)

• नारायणम्: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• परः: any other (one)
• परः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'अन्यः' अर्थे (another/anyone else)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājendra (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A drowning human figure in a vast ocean labeled ‘saṃsāra’ reaches out; Nārāyaṇa appears as Jagannātha extending a saving hand/garland, with a small boat of ‘nāma’ nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa
• Jagannātha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse emphasizes exclusive refuge (śaraṇāgati) in Nārāyaṇa as the ultimate deliverer from worldly bondage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching appears within the Huṅkāra/Vāsudeva Tīrtha context on the Narmadā, reinforcing the tīrtha’s Vaiṣṇava sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; the prescription is theological—take refuge in Nārāyaṇa.