Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

संसारे परिवर्तन्ते ये पृथग्भाजिनो नराः । ये महावृक्षमीशानं त्यक्त्वा शाखावलम्बिनः

Transliteration

saṃsāre parivartante ye pṛthagbhājino narāḥ | ye mahāvṛkṣamīśānaṃ tyaktvā śākhāvalambinaḥ

Translation

ผู้คนที่ยึดถือความแยกจากกัน ย่อมเวียนว่ายอยู่ในสังสารวัฏ—ดุจผู้ละทิ้งอีศานะผู้เป็นมหาต้นไม้ แล้วไปเกาะเกี่ยวเพียงกิ่งก้านเท่านั้น

Word by Word

• संसारे: in saṃsāra
• संसारे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरणे

• परिवर्तन्ते: revolve, wander
• परिवर्तन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; ‘revolve/return’

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्ता

• पृथग्भाजिनः: separate-minded, partaking separately
• पृथग्भाजिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय) + भाजिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: पृथक्-भाजिन् (उपपद-तत्पुरुष); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying narāḥ)

• नराः: men, people
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्ता

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्ता (relative pronoun starting next clause)

• महावृक्षम्: the great tree
• महावृक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महावृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: महा + वृक्ष; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म (object of tyaktvā)

• ईशानम्: the Lord (Īśāna)
• ईशानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; महावृक्षम् इति उपमेयस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन (referring to Lord as the great tree)

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु) → त्यक्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: अव्ययभाव (gerund/absolutive, क्त्वा); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया ‘having abandoned’

• शाखावलम्बिनः: clinging to branches
• शाखावलम्बिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाखा + अवलम्बिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: शाखाम् अवलम्बते इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (of ye/narāḥ)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (contextual attribution within Āvantya/Revā narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A colossal cosmic tree labeled ‘Īśāna’ as trunk/root; people cling to outer branches marked ‘limited aims’ while the wise sit at the root in meditation; those on branches fall back into a wheel of births.

Characters & Entities

• Īśāna (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Clinging to partial, secondary supports keeps one in saṃsāra; taking refuge in Īśāna (Śiva) leads toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to the Revā (Narmadā) Māhātmya, centering on the sanctity of Narmadā-tīra and Śiva-devotion there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed in this verse; it offers a doctrinal metaphor urging exclusive refuge in the Lord.