Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

वसन्तकामाप्सरस ऊचुः । पश्याम नादिं तव देव नान्तं न मध्यमव्याकृतरूपपारम् । परायणं त्वां जगतामनन्तं नताः स्म नारायणमात्मभूतम्

Transliteration

vasantakāmāpsarasa ūcuḥ | paśyāma nādiṃ tava deva nāntaṃ na madhyamavyākṛtarūpapāram | parāyaṇaṃ tvāṃ jagatāmanantaṃ natāḥ sma nārāyaṇamātmabhūtam

Translation

ବସନ୍ତା ଓ କାମା ନାମକ ଅପ୍ସରାମାନେ କହିଲେ—ହେ ଦେବ! ଆମେ ତୁମ ଆଦି ଦେଖୁନାହିଁ, ଅନ୍ତ ମଧ୍ୟ ନୁହେଁ; ମଧ୍ୟ ମଧ୍ୟ ନାହିଁ—ତୁମ ରୂପର ପାର ଅବ୍ୟକ୍ତ। ତୁମେ ଜଗତମାନଙ୍କର ପରମ ଆଶ୍ରୟ, ଅନନ୍ତ; ସର୍ବାତ୍ମା ନାରାୟଣଙ୍କୁ ଆମେ ପ୍ରଣାମ କରୁ।

Word by Word

• vasanta-kāma-apsarasaḥ: Vasanta, Kāma, and the apsarases
• vasanta-kāma-apsarasaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasanta + kāma + apsaras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (समाहार/इतरेतर): वसन्तः, कामः, अप्सरसः (समूह)

• ūcuḥ: said
• ūcuḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; = they said

• paśyāma: we see
• paśyāma: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: paś (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st), बहुवचन; = we see

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• ādim: beginning
• ādim: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; = beginning

• tava: of you
• tava: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; = of you/your

• deva: O Lord
• deva: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; = O god

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• antam: end
• antam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; = end

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• madhyam: middle
• madhyam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhya (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; = middle

• avyākṛta-rūpa-pāram: whose form/limit is unmanifest
• avyākṛta-rūpa-pāram: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-vyākṛta + rūpa + pāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: अव्याकृतं रूपं यस्य/यत्र तत् पारम् (limit) = whose form/limit is unmanifest/indescribable; विशेषण (to ‘madhyam’)

• parāyaṇam: supreme refuge
• parāyaṇam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; = supreme refuge/ultimate resort

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; = you

• jagatām: of the worlds
• jagatām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; = of worlds/of beings

• anantam: endless
• anantam: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an-anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (to ‘tvām’)

• natāḥ: bowed down
• natāḥ: Karta (Subject-state/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nam (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन, पुं/स्त्री (context: speakers); = bowed

• sma: indeed
• sma: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sma (अव्यय)
• Form: स्म-शब्दः (particle) भूतार्थ/स्मरणार्थ; here with participle: ‘indeed/just’

• nārāyaṇam: Nārāyaṇa
• nārāyaṇam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; = Nārāyaṇa

• ātma-bhūtam: the indwelling Self
• ātma-bhūtam: Karman (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ātman + bhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: आत्मा-भूतः = who has become the Self/innermost self; विशेषण (to ‘nārāyaṇam’)

Speaker

Apsarases Vasantā and Kāma

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two apsarases (Vasantā and Kāma) step forward, hands folded, addressing an unseen infinite presence; the background suggests riverbank and celestial assembly; the Lord indicated by vast radiance rather than bounded icon.

Characters & Entities

• Vasantā
• Kāma (Apsaras)
• Nārāyaṇa
• the worlds (jagat)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Infinite Lord transcends all measures; surrender to Nārāyaṇa as the inner Self is the highest refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is primarily a Vaiṣṇava stuti; the broader Revā Khaṇḍa context relates to the Revā/Narmadā sacred region, but no single tīrtha is named here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a hymn of bowing (praṇāma) and theological affirmation.