Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

गन्तुकामः परं मार्गं लङ्कायां नृपसत्तम । एकमुद्धरतो लिङ्गं प्रणतः सव्यपाणिना

Transliteration

gantukāmaḥ paraṃ mārgaṃ laṅkāyāṃ nṛpasattama | ekamuddharato liṅgaṃ praṇataḥ savyapāṇinā

Translation

ข้าแต่มหาราชผู้ประเสริฐ ครั้นปรารถนาจะเดินทางต่อไปยังลงกา เขายกศิวลึงค์หนึ่งขึ้น; ก้มกราบด้วยความเคารพ และยกมือซ้ายขึ้นเป็นอภิวาท

Word by Word

• गन्तु-कामः: desirous to go
• गन्तु-कामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (गन्तुम् कामः)

• परम्: further/next
• परम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘मार्गम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• मार्गम्: path
• मार्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लङ्कायाम्: in Laṅkā
• लङ्कायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लङ्का (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• नृप-सत्तम: O best of kings
• नृप-सत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नृपाणां सत्तमः)

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘लिङ्गम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• उद्धरतः: while lifting (of him lifting)
• उद्धरतः: Kriya (Participial action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-हृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अर्थः—‘उद्धरन्/उद्धरतो’ (while lifting)

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga (Śiva-emblem)
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रणतः: bowed down
• प्रणतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः—‘नतः/नमितः’

• सव्य-पाणिना: with the left hand
• सव्य-पाणिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सव्यः पाणिः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced for Āvantya/Revā narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīra (context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpasattama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The traveler prepares to depart; he bows and carefully lifts a liṅga, left hand raised in a gesture of salutation, embodying strength tempered by devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Laṅkā
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even while undertaking worldly journeys, one should approach Śiva’s symbol (liṅga) with humility and reverent conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode belongs to the Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha cycle; the specific tīrtha is named later as Garjana/Meghanāda.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An act of respectful veneration—bowing (praṇāma) to the liṅga—before handling or relocating it.