Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

एवं कृत्वा चतुर्दश्यामेकादश्यां नरोत्तम । वैष्णवं लोकमाप्नोति विष्णुतुल्यो भवेन्नरः

Transliteration

evaṃ kṛtvā caturdaśyāmekādaśyāṃ narottama | vaiṣṇavaṃ lokamāpnoti viṣṇutulyo bhavennaraḥ

Translation

وهكذا إذا فعل—مؤدّياً هذا النسك في اليوم الرابع عشر وفي اليوم الحادي عشر، يا خير الرجال—بلغ عالم الفايشنفيين، ويصير ذلك الرجل مساوياً لفيشنو في المجد.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth lunar day
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• एकादश्याम्: on the eleventh lunar day
• एकादश्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकादशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• नरोत्तम: O best of men
• नरोत्तम: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (उत्तमो नरः)

• वैष्णवम्: Vaiṣṇava
• वैष्णवम्: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; लोक-विशेषण

• लोकम्: world/realm
• लोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• विष्णुतुल्यः: equal to Viṣṇu
• विष्णुतुल्यः: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः/उपमान-समासः (विष्णुना तुल्यः)

• भवेत्: would become / should become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• नरः: the man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā tīrtha (contextual)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: नरोत्तम/राजेन्द्र addressed as recipient of instruction

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After completing the vow, the devotee is shown in a visionary ascent: a radiant Viṣṇu-loka with four-armed forms, conch-disc symbols, and a path of light rising from the Narmadā bank.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Vaiṣṇava-loka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere, properly observed vows yield transformative spiritual results—culminating in proximity to the divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The merit is framed within Revā/Narmadā māhātmya, implying the power of Narmadā-associated observances.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observing the specified rite on caturdaśī and ekādaśī, with the promised attainment of Vaiṣṇava-loka.