Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

यावन्मरणमप्येति तावदप्सु स्थिरो भव

Transliteration

yāvanmaraṇamapyeti tāvadapsu sthiro bhava

Translation

മരണം പോലും സമീപിക്കുന്നതുവരെ, ജലത്തിൽ സ്ഥിരനായി അചഞ്ചലനായി നിലകൊള്ളുക।

Word by Word

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Temporal relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/संबन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: अव्यय; कालपरिमाणवाचक (correlative adverb) — 'as long as/until'

• मरणम्: death
• मरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (also/even)

• एति: comes/reaches
• एति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तावत्: so long
• तावत्: Sambandha (Temporal correlate/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय/संबन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: अव्यय; तावत्-शब्द (correlative) — 'so long/that long'

• अप्सु: in the waters
• अप्सु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी बहुवचन (irregular stem अप्)

• स्थिरः: steady
• स्थिरः: Visheshana (Subject complement/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• भव: be
• भव: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Bṛhaspati (deduced; same admonitory voice continuing in sequence)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-jala (Kedāra waters)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone penitent stands motionless in a cold sacred river, hands in añjali, as twilight falls over Kedāra’s peaks; the waterline and breath mist convey endurance until death-near.

Characters & Entities

• Ap (waters)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True penance is depicted as unwavering endurance—holding to a discipline even under extreme hardship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra-khaṇḍa milieu frames the teaching, but this line emphasizes the penitential act (staying in water) more than naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A severe austerity involving remaining in water (apsu sthiraḥ) is prescribed as a form of penance.