Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

पृथिव्यां ह्यासमुद्रायां तादृशो नैव जायते । यादृशोऽयं नरश्रेष्ठ पर्वतोऽमरकण्टकः

Transliteration

pṛthivyāṃ hyāsamudrāyāṃ tādṛśo naiva jāyate | yādṛśo'yaṃ naraśreṣṭha parvato'marakaṇṭakaḥ

Translation

ഹേ നരശ്രേഷ്ഠാ! സമുദ്രങ്ങളോടുകൂടിയ ഈ ഭൂമിയിൽ അമരകണ്ടകത്തെപ്പോലൊരു അത്ഭുതപർവ്വതം മറ്റൊന്നും ജനിക്കുന്നില്ല.

Word by Word

• पृथिव्याम्: on earth
• पृथिव्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थक

• आसमुद्रायाम्: up to the ocean, ocean-bounded
• आसमुद्रायाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव (आ-समुद्र = समुद्रपर्यन्ता)

• तादृशः: such (as that)
• तादृशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तादृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed, at all
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphasis)

• जायते: is born, arises
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• यादृशः: such as
• यादृशः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यादृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (correlative)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• नरश्रेष्ठ: O best of men
• नरश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नराणां श्रेष्ठः)

• पर्वतः: mountain
• पर्वतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• अमरकण्टकः: Amarakanṭaka (proper name)
• अमरकण्टकः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमर + कण्टक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; नाम, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अमराणां कण्टकः/कण्टक-नाम)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Āvantya Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Amarakāṇṭaka

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: narश्रेष्ठ (addressed as best of men)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic vision of Amarakanṭaka: a majestic, forested mountain rising above mist, with springs and riverlets emerging; sages and pilgrims appear small to emphasize scale and sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Amarakanṭaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are praised as uniquely powerful; Amarakanṭaka is presented as incomparable in sanctity and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Amarakanṭaka, the celebrated sacred mountain associated with the Revā (Narmadā) region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse establishes the unparalleled greatness of the site.