Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 93

Devanagari script

अप्राप्य त्वां किमत्यन्तमुच्छ्रयी न विनाशयेत् । अतिप्रमाथि च तदा तपो महत्सुदारुणम्

Transliteration

aprāpya tvāṃ kimatyantamucchrayī na vināśayet | atipramāthi ca tadā tapo mahatsudāruṇam

Translation

നിന്നെ പ്രാപിക്കാതെ ഏത് അത്യുച്ച ഉയർച്ചയാണ് നാശത്തിലേക്ക് വീഴാതിരിക്കുക? അതിനാൽ അപ്പോൾ മഹത്തായ, അത്യന്തം കഠിനവും പ്രമാഥിയുമായ തപസ്സ് അനുഷ്ഠിക്കണം; അത് മലിനതയെ ചൂർണ്ണമാക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• aprāpya: without attaining
• aprāpya: Pūrvakāla (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: a- (नञ्) + prāpya (कृदन्त; √āp/आप् with pra-, lyap/क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Absolutive (ktvā/lyap) used as avyaya; 'without attaining'

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana

• kim: why?/what (then)
• kim: Praśna (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक सर्वनाम)
• Form: Avyaya-prayoga; interrogative particle 'why?/what then?'

• atyantam: excessively, utterly
• atyantam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atyanta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya; kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (adverb)

• ucchrayī: one who rises high / exalted (person)
• ucchrayī: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ucchraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana; adjective meaning 'rising/high/exalted' (agent/possessor sense)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; niṣedha

• vināśayet: would destroy
• vināśayet: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √naś (नश्) with vi- (causative)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (Optative), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada; causative sense 'would destroy'

• atipramāthi: very violent/tormenting
• atipramāthi: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (अव्यय) + pramāthin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana; adjective to 'tapaḥ': 'very churning/violent/disturbing'

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; samuccaya (conjunction)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; kāla-avyaya (temporal adverb)

• tapaḥ: austerity, penance
• tapaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana

• mahat: great
• mahat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana; adjective to 'tapaḥ'

• sudāruṇam: very dreadful
• sudāruṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + dāruṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana; adjective to 'tapaḥ'

Speaker

Narratorial voice within Revā Khaṇḍa (didactic continuation; precise speaker not stated in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (general)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic on the Narmadā bank performs severe tapas—standing in water, matted hair, rudrākṣa—while visions of crumbling palaces symbolize the ruin of worldly rise without God-attainment.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly rise without realization of the Supreme ends in collapse; lasting good comes from God-centered austerity and inner purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā sacred setting frames the teaching, though this verse itself is a general dharma-tapas instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austere spiritual discipline) is recommended as the means to attain the Lord.