Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

ततो गुरुतरं यत्नं वसन्तमदनौ नृप । चक्राते ताश्च तन्वङ्ग्यस्तत्क्षोभाय पुनःपुनः

Transliteration

tato gurutaraṃ yatnaṃ vasantamadanau nṛpa | cakrāte tāśca tanvaṅgyastatkṣobhāya punaḥpunaḥ

Translation

ततः, नृप, वसन्तमदनौ गुरुतरं यत्नं चक्रतुः; ताश्च तन्वङ्ग्यः स्त्रियोऽपि तयोः क्षोभाय पुनः पुनः प्रयतन्ते स्म।

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/काल-देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = 'thereupon/then'

• गुरुतरम्: heavier/greater
• गुरुतरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; तुलनात्मक (तरप्)

• यत्नम्: effort
• यत्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• वसन्त: Vasanta (Spring personified)
• वसन्त: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), द्विवचन

• मदनौ: Madana (Cupid)
• मदनौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), द्विवचन

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

• चक्राते: they made/did
• चक्राते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन; आत्मनेपद

• ताः: those (women)
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक/Conjunction)

• तन्वङ्ग्यः: slender-limbed women
• तन्वङ्ग्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; 'तन्वङ्गी' = 'slender-limbed (woman)'

• तत्: of him/that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; 'of him/that' (genitive)

• क्षोभाय: for agitation/disturbance
• क्षोभाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• पुनः: again (repeatedly)
• पुनः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण); पुनःपुनः = 'again and again'

Speaker

Narrator (addressing a king; listener is a king—name not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (Narmadā tīrthas)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (king) addressed as avani-pati/māhīpāla

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vasanta and Madana intensify their assault; a retinue of slender celestial women repeatedly attempt to disturb the steadfast divine presence, with spring motifs (blossoms, bees, breezes) swirling around.

Characters & Entities

• Vasanta
• Madana (Kāma)
• Apsarases/temptresses (implicit)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual resolve is tested repeatedly; perseverance and steadiness are essential to protect tapas from distraction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly mentioned in this verse; it is part of a broader Revā Khaṇḍa narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse narrates a test of mind and discipline.