Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

शबर उवाच । अन्नमद्य मया त्यक्तं प्राणेभ्योऽपि महत्तरम् । सत्यं न लोपयेद्देवि निश्चितात्र मतिर्मम

Transliteration

śabara uvāca | annamadya mayā tyaktaṃ prāṇebhyo'pi mahattaram | satyaṃ na lopayeddevi niścitātra matirmama

Translation

ശബരൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഇന്ന് ഞാൻ അന്നം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ചു; അത് പ്രാണനേക്കാൾ പോലും പ്രിയമാണ്. ദേവീ, ഞാൻ സത്യം ഉപേക്ഷിക്കില്ല; ഈ കാര്യത്തിൽ എന്റെ നിശ്ചയം ദൃഢമാണ്।

Word by Word

• शबरः: the Śabara
• शबरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शबर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person); एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative)

• अद्य: today, now
• अद्य: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: today/now)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; उत्तमपुरुषार्थे; एकवचनम्; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental)

• त्यक्तम्: abandoned, given up
• त्यक्तम्: Kriya (Passive predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √त्यज्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त/PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (contextual predicate); कर्मणि भावः (has been abandoned)

• प्राणेभ्यः: than (my) life-breaths
• प्राणेभ्यः: Apadana (Comparison-source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; बहुवचनम्; पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्ययम् (particle: even/also)

• महत्तरम्: greater, more important
• महत्तरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; तृतीयातुल्य-तुलनात्मकः (comparative: greater); विशेषणम् (अन्नम्/त्यक्तम्-विषय)

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negation)

• लोपयेत्: should abandon/omit
• लोपयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लुप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person); एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• देवि: O goddess/lady
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; सम्बोधन (Vocative)

• निश्चितā: resolved, determined
• निश्चितā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; नि√चि)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त/PPP); स्त्रीलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); विशेषणम् (मतिः)

• अत्र: here, in this matter
• अत्र: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: here/in this matter)

• मतिः: mind, resolve
• मतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; उत्तमपुरुषार्थे; एकवचनम्; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive)

Speaker

Śabara

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrtha (contextual)

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājñī addressed as Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Śabara declares a firm vow, refusing food; his posture is upright and unwavering, with a calm but intense gaze; the queen addressed as ‘Devi’ listens.

Characters & Entities

• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truthfulness is upheld as a supreme dharma, worth more than bodily survival.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it occurs within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s tīrtha-centered narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A personal vow of renunciation (tyāga) and steadfast adherence to satya (truth).