Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

दशाश्वमेधे संन्यासं यः करोति विधानतः । अनिवर्तिका गतिस्तस्य रुद्रलोकात्कदाचन

Transliteration

daśāśvamedhe saṃnyāsaṃ yaḥ karoti vidhānataḥ | anivartikā gatistasya rudralokātkadācana

Translation

ദശാശ്വമേധത്തിൽ വിധിപൂർവ്വം സന്ന്യാസം സ്വീകരിക്കുന്നവന്റെ ഗതി അനിവർത്തിനിയാണ്; അവൻ ഒരിക്കലും രുദ്രലോകത്തിൽ നിന്ന് മടങ്ങിവരുകയില്ല।

Word by Word

• दशाश्वमेधे: in the ten Aśvamedha (context)
• दशाश्वमेधे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश + अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; 'in the ten-aśvamedha (rite)'

• संन्यासम्: renunciation, sannyāsa
• संन्यासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संन्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• करोति: does, performs
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• विधानतः: according to the prescribed rule
• विधानतः: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्ययीभाव-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) = 'according to rule/ordinance'

• अनिवर्तिका: non-returning, irreversible
• अनिवर्तिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्-निवर्तिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying गति:)

• गतिः: course, destiny, path
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम

• रुद्रलोकात्: from Rudra’s world
• रुद्रलोकात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रुद्रस्य लोकः); पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• कदाचन: ever, at any time
• कदाचन: Sambandha (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय (at any time/ever)

Speaker

Śaṅkara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Daśāśvamedha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (explicitly in adjacent verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A renouncer at a sacred ford/ghāṭa, shaving/laying down weapons, receiving ochre cloth; Rudra’s realm hinted above with trident-emblems and ash-white radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Daśāśvamedha
• Saṃnyāsa
• Rudra
• Rudra-loka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When renunciation is embraced rightly at a consecrated tīrtha, the text promises a non-returning, Rudra-centered destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Daśāśvamedha tīrtha within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Saṃnyāsa (formal renunciation) performed vidhānataḥ—according to proper rule—at the Daśāśvamedha tīrtha.