Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

गतिरेषा दुरारोहा सर्वपापक्षयंकरी । मुच्यन्ते मङ्क्षु संसाराद्रेवामाश्रित्य जन्तवः

Transliteration

gatireṣā durārohā sarvapāpakṣayaṃkarī | mucyante maṅkṣu saṃsārādrevāmāśritya jantavaḥ

Translation

หนทางนี้ไต่ขึ้นได้ยากยิ่ง แต่เป็นผู้ทำลายบาปทั้งปวง สัตว์ทั้งหลายที่พึ่งพาเรวา ย่อมหลุดพ้นจากสังสารวัฏโดยเร็ว

Word by Word

• गतिः: path/way
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एषा: this
• एषा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निर्देशक-सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• दुरारोहा: hard to ascend
• दुरारोहा: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + āroha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (दुरः आरोहः यस्याः/दुरारोही); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सर्वपापक्षयंकरी: causing the destruction of all sins
• सर्वपापक्षयंकरी: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक) + karī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां पापानां क्षयम् करोति इति); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मुच्यन्ते: are freed
• मुच्यन्ते: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √muc (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• मङ्क्षु: quickly
• मङ्क्षु: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: maṅkṣu (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• संसारात्: from transmigration
• संसारात्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃsāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन

• रेवाम्: Revā (Narmadā)
• रेवाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: revā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आश्रित्य: having taken refuge in
• आश्रित्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā-√śri (धातु) + ल्यप्
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘आश्रित्य’ = आश्रयित्वा (having resorted to)

• जन्तवः: beings
• जन्तवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jantu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) [deduced]

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A steep symbolic path rising from worldly bustle to the calm Narmadā bank; pilgrims take refuge at the river, sins depicted as dark knots dissolving into the current.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Saṃsāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Though the highest spiritual ascent is difficult, Revā’s refuge accelerates purification and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā—i.e., the Narmadā and her sacred tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Āśraya/āśritya—taking refuge in Revā (pilgrimage, residence, and devotional dependence implied).