Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

मन्त्रहीनां तु यः कुर्याद्भक्तिं देवस्य भारत । स विडम्बति चात्मानं पशुकीटपतङ्गवत्

Transliteration

mantrahīnāṃ tu yaḥ kuryādbhaktiṃ devasya bhārata | sa viḍambati cātmānaṃ paśukīṭapataṅgavat

Translation

ولكن، يا بهاراتا، من أتى بالتعبّد للإله من غير المانترا فإنما يسخر من نفسه، كبهيمةٍ أو دودةٍ أو حشرة.

Word by Word

• मन्त्रहीनाम्: devoid of mantra
• मन्त्रहीनाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्त्र + हीन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (मन्त्रेण हीना = devoid of mantra); भक्तिम्-विशेषण

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (particle: 'but/indeed')

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• कुर्यात्: should do/perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भक्तिम्: devotion
• भक्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• देवस्य: of the deity
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विडम्बति: mocks/ridicules
• विडम्बति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + डम्ब् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• आत्मानम्: himself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पशुकीटपतङ्गवत्: like beasts, worms, and insects
• पशुकीटपतङ्गवत्: Kriya-visheshana (Simile/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पशु + कीट + पतङ्ग + वत् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोग (वत्-प्रत्ययान्त तद्धित); उपमानवाचक (like); समाहार-द्वन्द्व (पशु-कीट-पतङ्ग) + वत्

Speaker

Narrative voice addressing “Bhārata” (listener within the dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contrast scene: one devotee performs mantra-guided worship with focus; another performs showy but mantra-less gestures, depicted as confused and diminished, likened symbolically to animals/insects—an allegory of heedlessness.

Characters & Entities

• Bhārata (addressee)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion should be aligned with scriptural method; bhakti is praised, but disciplined worship with mantra is presented as the proper dharmic form.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching functions as guidance for worship undertaken in the Revā-khaṇḍa pilgrimage milieu rather than naming a single site in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implies the necessity of mantra in deity-worship; worship should not be performed “mantra-hīna” (without the prescribed mantra).