Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

अनेकसंसारभयार्दितानां पापैरनेकैरभिवेष्टितानाम् । गतिस्त्वमम्भोजसमानवक्त्रे द्वन्द्वैरनेकैरभिसंवृतानाम्

Transliteration

anekasaṃsārabhayārditānāṃ pāpairanekairabhiveṣṭitānām | gatistvamambhojasamānavaktre dvandvairanekairabhisaṃvṛtānām

Translation

സംസാരത്തിലെ അനേകം ഭയങ്ങളാൽ പീഡിതരായവർക്കും, അനവധി പാപങ്ങളാൽ ചുറ്റപ്പെട്ടവർക്കും—ഹേ താമരസമാനമുഖിനീ! പല ദ്വന്ദ്വങ്ങളാൽ മൂടപ്പെട്ടവർക്കു നീയേ ഗതി, നീയേ ശരണം.

Word by Word

• aneka-saṃsāra-bhaya-arditānām: of those afflicted by fear of many worldly cycles
• aneka-saṃsāra-bhaya-arditānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aneka (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃsāra (प्रातिपदिक) + bhaya (प्रातिपदिक) + ardita (ard धातोः क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समूहवाचक-सम्बन्धे), षष्ठी बहुवचन; 'of those afflicted by fear of many transmigrations' (genitive plural dependent on 'gatiḥ')

• pāpaiḥ: by sins
• pāpaiḥ: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन; 'by sins' (instrumental)

• anekaiḥ: many
• anekaiḥ: Karana (Instrument qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aneka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन; qualifying 'pāpaiḥ'

• abhiveṣṭitānām: of those enveloped
• abhiveṣṭitānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhi + veṣṭ (धातु) (क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी बहुवचन; past participle 'of those enveloped/entangled'

• gatiḥ: refuge, course, goal
• gatiḥ: Karta/Predicate (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; predicate-noun

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा एकवचन; 'you'

• ambhoja-samāna-vaktre: O lotus-faced one
• ambhoja-samāna-vaktre: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ambhoja (प्रातिपदिक) + samāna (प्रातिपदिक) + vaktra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; 'O (she) whose face is like a lotus' (samāna-vaktra = lotus-like-faced)

• dvandvaiḥ: by dualities/opposites
• dvandvaiḥ: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvandva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन; 'by pairs/opposites'

• anekaiḥ: many
• anekaiḥ: Karana (Instrument qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aneka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन; qualifying 'dvandvaiḥ'

• abhisaṃvṛtānām: of those enclosed
• abhisaṃvṛtānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhi + sam + vṛ (धातु) (क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी बहुवचन; past participle 'of those covered/enclosed'

Speaker

Devotees/dvijas addressing Revā as Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A weary pilgrim surrounded by symbolic ‘dvandva’ forms (heat/cold, praise/blame, gain/loss) approaches the serene lotus-faced Revā-devī; the opposites fade into mist as the devotee nears the river’s calm flow.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Saṃsāra
• Dvandvas (dualities)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha-devī is portrayed as the ultimate refuge for those trapped in sin, fear, and the dualities of worldly life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā/Narmadā, praised as ‘gati’—the saving refuge.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse teaches reliance upon the tīrtha through devotion and approach.