Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

गन्धमादनमासाद्य कुरुध्वं वचनं मम । नरनारायणौ तत्र तपोदीक्षान्वितौ द्विजौ

Transliteration

gandhamādanamāsādya kurudhvaṃ vacanaṃ mama | naranārāyaṇau tatra tapodīkṣānvitau dvijau

Translation

Setelah sampai ke Gandhamādana, laksanakanlah titahku. Di sana, dua resi Brahmana, Nara dan Nārāyaṇa, sedang tekun dalam tapa dengan dīkṣā (penyucian dan ikrar) yang suci.

Word by Word

• गन्धमादनम्: Gandhamādana (mountain)
• गन्धमादनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धमादन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• आसाद्य: having reached
• आसाद्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-√सद् (धातु) → आसाद्य (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्)
• Form: अव्ययभावे क्त्वान्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• कुरुध्वम्: do (you all)
• कुरुध्वम्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• वचनम्: command/word
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• नरनारायणौ: Nara and Nārāyaṇa
• नरनारायणौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + नारायण (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• तपोदीक्षान्वितौ: endowed with austerity and initiation
• तपोदीक्षान्वितौ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस् + दीक्षा + अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; विशेषण (नरनारायणयोः)

• द्विजौ: the two twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; अप्पोजिशन (नरनारायणौ)

Speaker

Indra (Śakra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gandhamādana (tapo-kṣetra of Nara-Nārāyaṇa)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (addressed as mahīpate)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Himalayan peak with cedar and snow; Indra’s envoys receiving orders to go to Gandhamādana where Nara and Nārāyaṇa sit in unwavering tapas.

Characters & Entities

• Gandhamādana
• Nara
• Nārāyaṇa
• Indra (Śakra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True spiritual discipline (tapo-dīkṣā) draws attention and tests; steadfastness is the hallmark of realized sages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gandhamādana is the sacred setting named here, presented as a powerful tapas-sthāna (place of austerity).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse references tapo-dīkṣā (initiation/vow into austerity), indicating a formal ascetic observance, though no specific rite is detailed.