Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

ध्यानार्चनैर्जाप्यमहाव्रतैश्च नारायणं वा सततं स्मरन्ति । ते धौतपाण्डुरपटा इव राजहंसाः संसारसागरजलस्य तरन्ति पारम्

Transliteration

dhyānārcanairjāpyamahāvrataiśca nārāyaṇaṃ vā satataṃ smaranti | te dhautapāṇḍurapaṭā iva rājahaṃsāḥ saṃsārasāgarajalasya taranti pāram

Translation

دھیان، ارچن، جپ اور مہاورَتوں کے ذریعے وہ نارائن کو بھی برابر یاد کرتے رہتے ہیں۔ دھلے ہوئے بےداغ سفید لباس والے شاہی ہنسوں کی طرح وہ سنسار کے سمندر کے پانی کو پار کر کے دوسرے کنارے پہنچ جاتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• ध्यान-अर्चनैः: by meditation and worship
• ध्यान-अर्चनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक) + arcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental), बहुवचनम् (Plural)

• जाप्य-महाव्रतैः: by recitations and great vows
• जाप्य-महाव्रतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāpya (प्रातिपदिक) + mahāvrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental), बहुवचनम् (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• नारायणम्: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपातः (disjunctive particle)

• सततम्: constantly
• सततम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: satata (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb)

• स्मरन्ति: remember
• स्मरन्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), बहुवचनम् (Plural)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), बहुवचनम् (Plural)

• धौत-पाण्डुर-पटाः: having washed, pale-white garments
• धौत-पाण्डुर-पटाः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhauta (कृदन्त—क्त/PPP from √dhāv ‘to wash’) + pāṇḍura (प्रातिपदिक) + paṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् ‘राजहंसाः’

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्ययम् (comparative particle)

• राजहंसाः: royal swans
• राजहंसाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāja (प्रातिपदिक) + haṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), बहुवचनम् (Plural)

• संसार-सागर-जलस्य: of the water of the ocean of worldly existence
• संसार-सागर-जलस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃsāra (प्रातिपदिक) + sāgara (प्रातिपदिक) + jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), एकवचनम् (Singular)

• तरन्ति: cross
• तरन्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), बहुवचनम् (Plural)

• पारम्: the far shore
• पारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम् (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (contextual attribution within Āvantya/Revā narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā (contextual tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ascetics and brāhmaṇas seated on riverbank in meditation, some performing japa with mālā, others offering flowers; above them a symbolic Nārāyaṇa presence; the metaphor of spotless-white garments and royal swans suggests luminous purity and graceful crossing over waves.

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady spiritual disciplines—meditation, worship, japa, and vows—purify the devotee and enable crossing beyond saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate section is the Revā Khaṇḍa; the implied sacred setting remains the Narmadā pilgrimage landscape even when the verse highlights remembrance of Nārāyaṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhyāna (meditation), arcana (worship), japa (recitation), and mahā-vrata (major vows), coupled with constant smaraṇa (remembrance) of Nārāyaṇa.