Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

एवं वर्षशते पूर्णे एकाङ्गुष्ठेऽभवन्नृप । अस्थिभूतः परं तात ऊर्ध्वबाहुस्ततः परम्

Transliteration

evaṃ varṣaśate pūrṇe ekāṅguṣṭhe'bhavannṛpa | asthibhūtaḥ paraṃ tāta ūrdhvabāhustataḥ param

Translation

Demikianlah genap seratus tahun; wahai raja, dia seolah-olah tinggal sebesar ibu jari—hanya tulang semata. Sesudah itu, wahai yang dikasihi, dia meneruskan tapa dengan lebih hebat, sambil mengangkat kedua-dua lengan ke atas.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner: “thus”)

• वर्षशते: in (the period of) a hundred years
• वर्षशते: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्षशत (प्रातिपदिक; वर्ष + शत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/Locative); एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वर्षाणां शतम्)

• पूर्णे: completed
• पूर्णे: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वर्षशते)

• एकाङ्गुष्ठे: in/at (the state of) one thumb (measure)
• एकाङ्गुष्ठे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकाङ्गुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; एक + अङ्गुष्ठ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे अनिश्चित); सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (एकः अङ्गुष्ठः)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् लकार (Imperfect/Past); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन विभक्ति (8th/Vocative); एकवचन

• अस्थिभूतः: having become bone-like / reduced to bones
• अस्थिभूतः: Kartṛ (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस्थि + भूत (प्रातिपदिक; भू-धातोः क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (भूत); समासः—तत्पुरुष (अस्थि-भूतः = अस्थिरूपः)

• परम्: then/thereafter
• परम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परम् (अव्यय/विशेषण)
• Form: अव्यय; परं = “thereafter/then” (temporal adverb)

• तात: O dear one / O son
• तात: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन विभक्ति; एकवचन

• ऊर्ध्वबाहुः: with arms raised upward
• ऊर्ध्वबाहुः: Kartṛ (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्ध्व + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (ऊर्ध्वः बाहुः यस्य/ऊर्ध्वबाहुः)

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/ततः = “then/from that time” (temporal/ablatival adverb)

• परम्: further/after that
• परम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परम् (अव्यय/विशेषण)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्त-कालवाचक (again temporal adverb)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpa) addressed in the verse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An emaciated ascetic, reduced to bone-like thinness, stands immobile with both arms raised, hair matted, eyes inward, beside a sacred riverbank under harsh sun and wind.

Characters & Entities

• Kuṇḍa
• king (listener, unnamed in snippet)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic ideal of resolve (dṛḍha-niścaya) is shown through unwavering tapas even when the body is exhausted.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context remains the Revā/Narmadā sacred region, though this verse itself does not name a site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ūrdhvabāhu-vrata (keeping the arms raised) is indicated as a further austerity.