Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

भवन्ति लयमायान्ति समुद्रसलिलोर्मयः । न वारिभेदतो भिन्नास्तथैवैक्यादिदं जगत्

Transliteration

bhavanti layamāyānti samudrasalilormayaḥ | na vāribhedato bhinnāstathaivaikyādidaṃ jagat

Translation

Ombak lautan timbul lalu surut, namun tidak berbeza kerana ‘perbezaan air’. Demikian juga, alam ini tampak hanya daripada keesaan semata-mata.

Word by Word

• भवन्ति: they become / they arise
• भवन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present indicative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• लयम्: dissolution, absorption
• लयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• आयान्ति: they go/come to (reach)
• आयान्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present indicative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• समुद्र-सलिल-ऊर्मयः: the waves of the ocean-water
• समुद्र-सलिल-ऊर्मयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + सलिल (प्रातिपदिक) + ऊर्मि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive determinative): 'समुद्रस्य सलिलस्य ऊर्मयः'

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• वारि-भेदतः: due to difference in water
• वारि-भेदतः: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वारि (प्रातिपदिक) + भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) = 'भेदतः' (from difference); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: 'वारिणः भेदतः'

• भिन्नाः: separate, different
• भिन्नाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिद् (धातु) → भिन्न (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तथा: thus, in that way
• तथा: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• ऐक्यात्: from unity
• ऐक्यात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• जगत्: world, universe
• जगत्: Apposition/Predicate nominal (सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Unspecified (Revā-khaṇḍa narrative voice; illustrative teaching)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrthas (general)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm ocean with rhythmic waves rising and dissolving back into the same water; a sage-teacher gestures to the sea while pilgrims listen, suggesting the world’s forms as wave-forms of one essence.

Characters & Entities

• Samudra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Forms arise and vanish, but their underlying essence is one—like waves that are only water.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse uses a universal ocean-wave metaphor within the Revā-khaṇḍa discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it teaches discernment through analogy.