Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

तावत्कर्ममयी वृत्तिर्ब्रह्म वृक्षांतराभवेत् । अवांतराणि पर्वाणि ज्ञेयानि मुनिभिः सदा

Transliteration

tāvatkarmamayī vṛttirbrahma vṛkṣāṃtarābhavet | avāṃtarāṇi parvāṇi jñeyāni munibhiḥ sadā

Translation

వృత్తి కర్మమయంగా ఉన్నంతవరకు బ్రహ్మం వృక్షశాఖల మధ్య ఉన్నట్లుగా కేవలం అंशమాత్రంగా దర్శనమిస్తుంది; అందుచేత మధ్యస్థ పరవాలు (అవాంతర దశలు) మునులు సదా గ్రహించవలసినవి.

Word by Word

• तावत्: so long/that much
• तावत्: Adhikarana (Extent/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक-अव्यय (so long/that much)

• कर्ममयी: consisting of action
• कर्ममयी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कर्ममयः = कर्मेण मयः/filled with action)

• वृत्तिः: activity/condition
• वृत्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ब्रह्म: Brahman
• ब्रह्म: Samanadhikarana (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वृक्ष-अन्तरा: an interval between (branches of) a tree
• वृक्ष-अन्तरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वृक्षस्य अन्तरम् = interval/space between branches)

• अभवेत्: would be/may become
• अभवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• अवांतराणि: intermediate/subsidiary
• अवांतराणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवांतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• पर्वाणि: stages/sections
• पर्वाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• ज्ञेयानि: to be known
• ज्ञेयानि: Vidhi (Injunctive sense/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/तव्यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; कर्मणि-अर्थ (to be known)

• मुनिभिः: by sages
• मुनिभिः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya didactic narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seeker beneath a vast sacred tree glimpses a radiant, formless Brahman-light between dense branches; sages point to stepping-stones or ‘parvans’ along a path leading from the shaded grove to open sky.

Characters & Entities

• Brahman
• Munis (sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

As long as karma-driven tendencies persist, realization remains partial; discernment of stages of practice is essential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular sacred site is named; the teaching functions as guidance for pilgrims and seekers within the Mahātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it recommends understanding progressive stages of sādhana.