Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

एकपादास्थिताः केचिदपरे सूर्यदृष्टयः । एकाङ्गुष्ठ स्थिताः केचिदूर्ध्वबाहुस्थिताः परे

Transliteration

ekapādāsthitāḥ kecidapare sūryadṛṣṭayaḥ | ekāṅguṣṭha sthitāḥ kecidūrdhvabāhusthitāḥ pare

Translation

ചിലർ ഒരു കാലിൽ നിന്നു, ചിലർ സൂര്യനിലേക്കു ദൃഷ്ടി സ്ഥിരപ്പെടുത്തി. ചിലർ ഒരു വിരലിന്റെ തുമ്പിൽ തുലനം പിടിച്ചു നിന്നു, മറ്റുചിലർ കൈകൾ ഉയർത്തി നിന്നു.

Word by Word

• एकपादास्थिताः: standing on one foot
• एकपादास्थिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक-पाद-स्थित (प्रातिपदिक; एक + पाद + स्थित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (describing ascetics)

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• अपरे: others
• अपरे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सूर्यदृष्टयः: those whose gaze is on the sun / sun-gazers
• सूर्यदृष्टयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य-दृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक; सूर्य + दृष्टि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• एकाङ्गुष्ठस्थिताः: standing on one toe
• एकाङ्गुष्ठस्थिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक-अङ्गुष्ठ-स्थित (प्रातिपदिक; एक + अङ्गुष्ठ + स्थित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम

• ऊर्ध्वबाहुस्थिताः: standing with arms raised upward
• ऊर्ध्वबाहुस्थिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्ध्व-बाहु-स्थित (प्रातिपदिक; ऊर्ध्व + बाहु + स्थित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• परे: others
• परे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Revā Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arvāk-tīrtha (tapas-field depiction)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tableau of ascetics performing striking austerities: one-foot stance, arms raised, balancing on a toe, faces turned toward the sun—set against a flowering forest near the river.

Characters & Entities

• Vratins/Tapasvins (ascetics)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text celebrates disciplined austerity (tapas) as a powerful means of spiritual refinement at sacred places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The holy environment on the Narmadā route (connected to Arvāk-tīrtha/Śūlabheda context) is implicitly glorified by the tapas performed there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Austerity-forms are described: standing on one foot, sun-gazing, toe-standing, and holding arms raised (ūrdhva-bāhu).