Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

तां पश्यन्ति वरारोहामेकधा बहुधा पुनः । दिव्यवर्षसहस्रं तु भ्रामितास्ते तया पुरा

Transliteration

tāṃ paśyanti varārohāmekadhā bahudhā punaḥ | divyavarṣasahasraṃ tu bhrāmitāste tayā purā

Translation

അവർ ആ സുന്ദരാംഗിയായ കന്യയെ നിരന്തരം കണ്ടുകൊണ്ടിരുന്നു—ഒരിക്കൽ ഒരേ രൂപത്തിൽ, പിന്നെ പല രൂപങ്ങളിൽ. സത്യത്തിൽ അവൾ മുമ്പേ അവരെ ആയിരം ദിവ്യവർഷം വഴിതെറ്റിച്ചിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• पश्यन्ति: they see
• पश्यन्ति: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु; पश्य-आदेश)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• वरारोहाम्: the fair-limbed maiden (lit. excellent-rider/one with fine ascent)
• वरारोहाम्: Karman (Appositional object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरा + आरोहा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (descriptive)

• एकधा: in one way/at one time
• एकधा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; संख्या-आधारित क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: in one way)

• बहुधा: in many ways
• बहुधा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: in many ways)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/पुनरावृत्ति-वाचक (adverb: again)

• दिव्यवर्षसहस्रम्: a thousand divine years
• दिव्यवर्षसहस्रम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Duration/extent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्य + वर्ष + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रधान तत्पुरुष (determinative: 'divine-years thousand')

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• भ्रामिताः: made to wander, whirled about
• भ्रामिताः: Karta (Subject; in passive sense 'were made to wander')
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• तया: by her
• तया: Karaṇa (Agent/instrument in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly, earlier
• पुरा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल-वाचक (adverb: formerly)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A single radiant maiden splits into many identical forms across the landscape; the pursuers appear exhausted, circling for ages under changing skies that indicate a thousand divine years passing.

Characters & Entities

• the maiden (varārohā)
• Devas and Asuras (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Māyā can multiply appearances (one/many) and consume vast stretches of time; liberation begins when desire-driven pursuit is relinquished.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it remains within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative milieu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.