Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

स्वस्थानं गच्छ शीघ्रं त्वं भुक्त्वा भोगान्यथेप्सितान् । कुरु निष्कण्टकं राज्यं नाके शक्र इवापरः

Transliteration

svasthānaṃ gaccha śīghraṃ tvaṃ bhuktvā bhogānyathepsitān | kuru niṣkaṇṭakaṃ rājyaṃ nāke śakra ivāparaḥ

Translation

“Magbalik ka agad sa iyong sariling tahanan. Tamuhin at lasapin ang mga kaligayahang marapat mong minimithi, at itatag ang isang kahariang walang tinik—walang ligalig at kaaway—na parang isa pang Śakra (Indra) sa langit.”

Word by Word

• sva-sthānam: to your own place
• sva-sthānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (स्व) + sthāna (स्थान) (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य स्थानम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• gaccha: go
• gaccha: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (गम्, धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• śīghram: quickly
• śīghram: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śīghra (शीघ्र, प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (युष्मद्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• bhuktvā: having enjoyed
• bhuktvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhuj (भुज्, धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• bhogān: enjoyments
• bhogān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhoga (भोग, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अथ)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: then/and)

• īpsitān: desired
• īpsitān: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: īpsita (ईप्सित, √āp/īps क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (bhogān)

• kuru: make/do
• kuru: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ, धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• niṣ-kaṇṭakam: thornless; free of obstacles
• niṣ-kaṇṭakam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niṣ (निष्-उपसर्ग) + kaṇṭaka (कण्टक, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्/उपसर्गपूर्वक-तत्पुरुष (कण्टक-रहितम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (rājyam)

• rājyam: kingdom
• rājyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (राज्य, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• nāke: in heaven
• nāke: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāka (नाक, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• śakraḥ: Indra
• śakraḥ: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (शक्र, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• iva: like
• iva: Upamā (Comparison marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (इव)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• aparaḥ: another; second (Indra)
• aparaḥ: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (अपर, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (त्वम् implied)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) / Rudra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tirtha milieu

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Citrasena

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva instructs the king to return and rule; imagery of a thornless kingdom—orderly city, protected people—evoked behind them.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Citrasena
• Śakra (Indra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual attainment does not negate worldly duty; righteous kingship (rājadharma) is itself a sacred responsibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa context frames this counsel as arising from tapas at a sacred spot (Bhṛgutuṅga/kuṇḍa), though this verse highlights rājadharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it prescribes ethical governance—creating a “thornless” realm—rather than a ritual.