Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

मातृशापभयात्पार्थ ध्यायते कामनाशनम् । अच्छेद्यमप्रतर्क्यं च विनाशोत्पत्तिवर्जितम्

Transliteration

mātṛśāpabhayātpārtha dhyāyate kāmanāśanam | acchedyamapratarkyaṃ ca vināśotpattivarjitam

Translation

பார்த்தா, தாயின் சாபப் பயத்தால் அவன் ஆசைநாசகமான அந்தத் தத்துவத்தைத் தியானித்தான்—அது வெட்டமுடியாதது, தர்க்கத்திற்கப்பாற்பட்டது, பிறப்பு-அழிவற்றது।

Word by Word

• मातृशापभयात्: from fear of the mother’s curse
• मातृशापभयात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक) + शाप (प्रातिपदिक) + भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मातुः शापस्य भयम्); नपुंसकलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचनम्; हेतौ अपादानम्

• पार्थ: O Pārtha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचनम्

• ध्यायते: he meditates
• ध्यायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्

• कामनाशनम्: the destroyer of desires
• कामनाशनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कामना (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कामनायाः नाशनम्); नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्; ध्यायते इति कर्म

• अच्छेद्यम्: uncuttable
• अच्छेद्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-छेद्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्; नञ्-पूर्वक-योग्यताकृदन्त (gerundive sense): ‘not to be cut’

• अप्रतर्क्यम्: inconceivable
• अप्रतर्क्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-प्रतर्क्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्; नञ्-पूर्वक-योग्यताकृदन्त: ‘not to be reasoned out’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• विनाशोत्पत्तिवर्जितम्: devoid of destruction and origination
• विनाशोत्पत्तिवर्जितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विनाश (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्पत्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्जित (प्रातिपदिक; क्त)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समाहारपूर्वक-तत्पुरुषः (विनाशः च उत्पत्तिः च तयोः वर्जितम्); नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (addressing 'Pārtha' within the story-frame; speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Maṇināga sits motionless in deep meditation, serpent-hood lowered like a canopy; the river flows quietly behind. Above or within a halo appears an abstract emblem of the indivisible reality—formless light or a subtle liṅga-like radiance—signifying the unborn and undying.

Characters & Entities

• Pārtha
• Maṇināga (implied from prior verse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Suffering and fear can become catalysts for dhyāna and vairāgya—turning the mind toward the changeless reality beyond birth and death.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is doctrinal rather than geographical, though it continues the Narmadā-bank tapas setting from the surrounding lines.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Meditation (dhyāna) aimed at desire-destruction is recommended; no external ritual is specified.