Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 126

Devanagari script

शरीरं दुस्त्यजं मुक्त्वा लभते गतिमुत्तमाम् । संसारसागराद्भीतः सत्यं भद्रे वदामि ते

Transliteration

śarīraṃ dustyajaṃ muktvā labhate gatimuttamām | saṃsārasāgarādbhītaḥ satyaṃ bhadre vadāmi te

Translation

“เมื่อละกายนี้ซึ่งละได้ยากยิ่งแล้ว บุคคลย่อมบรรลุคติอันสูงสุด ด้วยความหวาดหวั่นต่อมหาสมุทรแห่งสังสารวัฏ โอ้ผู้เป็นมงคล ข้าพเจ้ากล่าวความจริงแก่ท่าน”

Word by Word

• शरीरम्: body
• शरीरम्: कर्म (Object of ‘मुक्त्वा’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दुस्त्यजम्: hard to abandon
• दुस्त्यजम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुस् (उपसर्ग) + त्यज्य (त्यज् धातु, यत्-प्रत्यय/कृदन्ताधार) → त्यज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘शरीरम्’; अर्थः ‘दु:खेन त्याज्यम्/त्यक्तुं कठिनम्’

• मुक्त्वा: having abandoned/released
• मुक्त्वा: पूर्वकाल (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुच् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• गतिम्: state/goal
• गतिम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उत्तमाम्: highest/excellent
• उत्तमाम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘गतिम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• संसारसागरात्: from the ocean of worldly existence
• संसारसागरात्: अपादान (Ablative/source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार + सागर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (संसारस्य सागरः)

• भीतः: afraid
• भीतः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भी (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP)

• सत्यम्: truly
• सत्यम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (adverbial accusative/नपुंसक-द्वितीया एकवचनवत्), सत्यवचनार्थक

• भद्रे: O good lady
• भद्रे: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• वदामि: I say
• वदामि: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ते: to you
• ते: सम्प्रदान (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया/चतुर्थी (2nd/4th: Acc./Dat.), एकवचन; अत्र चतुर्थी (to you)

Speaker

Śabara (deduced from continuity)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā Khaṇḍa (general)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: His wife (bhadre)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative scene: the Śabara speaks truthfully to his wife; behind them, the vast river symbolizes saṃsāra-sāgara; a faint vision of a luminous path upward indicates ‘uttamā gati’.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃsāra-sāgara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Awareness of saṃsāra’s peril should turn one toward dharma and liberation—the ‘highest destination’ beyond mere worldly aims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; the verse sits within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s broader tīrtha-centered discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is detailed here; it frames the motivation for adopting dharmic practices taught earlier.