Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

धावमानमविश्रान्तं जवेन मनसोपमम् । तं दृष्ट्वा सहसा चाश्वमीर्ष्याभावेन चाब्रवीत्

Transliteration

dhāvamānamaviśrāntaṃ javena manasopamam | taṃ dṛṣṭvā sahasā cāśvamīrṣyābhāvena cābravīt

Translation

धावमानमविश्रान्तं जवेन मनसोपमम्। तं दृष्ट्वा सहसा चाश्वमीर्ष्याभावेन चाब्रवीत्॥

Word by Word

• dhāvamānam: running
• dhāvamānam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhāv (धातु)
• Form: शतृ/शानच्-वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• aviśrāntam: unresting, untiring
• aviśrāntam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aviśrānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• javena: with speed
• javena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: java (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• manasā: with the mind / as (swift as) mind
• manasā: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• upamam: comparable to, like
• upamam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); उपमा-वाचक (comparable to)

• tam: him/that (horse)
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Pūrvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• sahasā: suddenly
• sahasā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sahasā (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner: suddenly)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• aśvam: the horse
• aśvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• īrṣyā-bhāvena: with jealousy (as a feeling)
• īrṣyā-bhāvena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īrṣyā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); ईर्ṣyायाः भावः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• abravīt: said, spoke
• abravīt: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Narration by Mārkaṇḍeya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The divine horse races by; one woman’s face shifts from wonder to sharp jealousy—eyes narrowed, lips tense—captured at the instant she speaks; the other stands beside her, surprised.

Characters & Entities

• Uccaiḥśravas
• īrṣyā (jealousy)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unchecked jealousy distorts judgment and speech, becoming the doorway to adharma and suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.