Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेय उवाच । तथा त्वमपि राजेन्द्र सर्वभूतेषु केशवम् । चिन्तयन्समतां गच्छ समतैव हि मुक्तये

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tathā tvamapi rājendra sarvabhūteṣu keśavam | cintayansamatāṃ gaccha samataiva hi muktaye

Translation

മാർക്കണ്ഡേയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ രാജേന്ദ്രാ! നീയും സർവ്വഭൂതങ്ങളിലും കേശവനെ ധ്യാനിച്ച് സമത്വത്തിൽ നിലകൊൾക; സമത്വം തന്നെയാണ് മോക്ഷത്തിലേക്കുള്ള മാർഗം.

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपदम्

• तथा: thus; in the same way
• तथा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुषार्थे (2nd person pronoun), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle)

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāja + indra (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वभूतेषु: in all beings
• सर्वभूतेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + bhūta (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• केशवम्: Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• केशवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keśava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• चिन्तयन्: meditating; contemplating
• चिन्तयन्: Karta (Agent as participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्तय् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• समताम्: equanimity
• समताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• गच्छ: go; attain
• गच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपदम्

• समता: equanimity
• समता: Karta/Hetu (Subject/Cause/कर्ता/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• एव: indeed; alone
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारणार्थक निपात (restrictive particle)

• हि: for; indeed
• हि: Hetu-marker (Reason indicator/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थक/समर्थक निपात (causal/emphatic particle)

• मुक्तये: for liberation
• मुक्तये: Sampradana (Purpose/Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tirtha-mandala (contextual)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (राजेन्द्र/नृप)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Mārkaṇḍeya instructs a king in a quiet hermitage by the Revā’s banks; the king listens with folded hands as the sage gestures toward beings—humans, animals, trees—bathed in a subtle Vishnu-aura, symbolizing Keśava in all.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Keśava
• King (listener)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is supported by equal vision grounded in remembrance of Keśava within all beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is a universal teaching; in Revā-khaṇḍa it complements the sanctifying ethos of the Revā region rather than naming a single site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An inner sādhana is prescribed: contemplation (cintana) of Keśava in all beings.