Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

सार्द्रवासाश्च हेमन्ते तिष्ठन्दध्यौ महेश्वरम् । स्वान्तर्हृत्कमले स्थाप्य ध्यायते परमेश्वरम्

Transliteration

sārdravāsāśca hemante tiṣṭhandadhyau maheśvaram | svāntarhṛtkamale sthāpya dhyāyate parameśvaram

Translation

ครั้นฤดูหนาว ท่านสวมผ้าชื้นยืนมั่นและเพ่งภาวนาต่อมหेशวร เมื่อประดิษฐานพระผู้เป็นเจ้าสูงสุดไว้ในดอกบัวแห่งหทัยภายใน ท่านก็ดำรงสมาธิต่อปรเมศวร

Word by Word

• सार्द्रवासाः: wearing wet clothes
• सार्द्रवासाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + आर्द्र + वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘आर्द्रवासाः सह’/‘आर्द्रं वासः यस्य’ (wearing wet garments)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• हेमन्ते: in winter
• हेमन्ते: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेमन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (कालाधिकरण)

• तिष्ठन्: standing
• तिष्ठन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषणम्

• दध्यौ: meditated
• दध्यौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महेश्वरम्: Maheśvara
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘महान् ईश्वरः’ (Śiva)

• स्वान्तर्हृत्कमले: in the lotus of his inner heart
• स्वान्तर्हृत्कमले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + अन्तर् + हृत् + कमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (बहुपद): ‘स्वस्य अन्तर्-हृदि कमले’ (in the lotus of his inner heart)

• स्थाप्य: having placed/established
• स्थाप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था/√स्थाप् (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), णिजन्त—‘स्थापयित्वा’

• ध्यायते: meditates
• ध्यायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• परमेश्वरम्: the Supreme Lord
• परमेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘परमः ईश्वरः’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā (as support for dhyāna)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Unknown

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Winter riverbank: grey sky, mist, the sage standing with damp cloth clinging, eyes half-closed. A translucent heart-lotus is shown in overlay, with radiant Maheśvara seated/manifest within, signifying inner installation.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Parameśvara (Śiva)
• Hṛt-kamala (heart-lotus)
• Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana (Vyāsa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha-fruit culminates in inner worship—installing Śiva in the heart and sustaining meditative absorption.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Narmadā-bank ascetic setting; the emphasis is on inner tīrtha through meditation on Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Standing meditation in winter with damp clothing is described as an austerity supporting dhyāna of Maheśvara.