Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

परमार्थमविज्ञाय पर्यटन्ति तमोवृताः । तेषां समागमे पार्थ श्रम एव हि केवलम्

Transliteration

paramārthamavijñāya paryaṭanti tamovṛtāḥ | teṣāṃ samāgame pārtha śrama eva hi kevalam

Translation

اعلیٰ حقیقت کو نہ جان کر، تاریکی میں ڈھکے ہوئے لوگ بھٹکتے پھرتے ہیں۔ اے پارتھ! ایسے لوگوں کی صحبت میں صرف تھکن ہی ہاتھ آتی ہے، اور کچھ نہیں۔

Word by Word

• परमार्थम्: the highest truth/ultimate meaning
• परमार्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—परम + अर्थ (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः, अर्थः ‘परमः अर्थः’)

• अविज्ञाय: not knowing / without understanding
• अविज्ञाय: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि√ज्ञा (धातु) + अव- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययभावे), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; ‘अविज्ञाय’ = न ज्ञात्वा (having not understood)

• पर्यटन्ति: they wander about
• पर्यटन्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि√अट् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• तमोवृताः: covered by darkness (ignorance)
• तमोवृताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक) + वृत (कृदन्त, √वृ ‘to cover’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तमसा वृताः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• समागमे: in association/meeting (with them)
• समागमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समागम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• पार्थ: O Pārtha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (vocative), एकवचन

• श्रमः: effort; toil
• श्रमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: only/indeed
• एव: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (reason/assurance particle)

• केवलम्: mere; alone
• केवलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘श्रमः’ (predicate adjective)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual; vocative 'Pārtha' preserved as in text)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa); verse also addresses 'Pārtha' in the received wording

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A weary band of pilgrims wandering in a dim, dust-laden landscape, contrasted with a serene sage pointing toward a luminous path—symbolizing parama-artha and satsanga.

Characters & Entities

• Pārtha (Arjuna epithet, as addressed in verse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage without understanding and devotion becomes mere travel; spiritual clarity and right company matter.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; it supports the Nandā-hrada māhātmya by contrasting true purpose with aimless roaming.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse gives ethical-spiritual counsel about knowledge and association.