Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

देवकार्यं कृतं तेन अग्नयो विधिवद्धुताः । वेदा अधीताश्चत्वारो येन रेवावगाहिता

Transliteration

devakāryaṃ kṛtaṃ tena agnayo vidhivaddhutāḥ | vedā adhītāścatvāro yena revāvagāhitā

Translation

مَنِ اغتسلَ في رِيفَا (Revā) فكأنما قد أتمَّ ما عليه من واجباتٍ نحو الدِّيفات (الآلهة)؛ وكأنما أُوقدت النيرانُ المقدسةُ ورُعِيَت على وفقِ الشريعة، وكأنما دُرِسَت الفيداتُ الأربع.

Word by Word

• देवकार्यं: divine duty/rite
• देवकार्यं: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘work for the gods’

• कृतम्: done/performed
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; used predicatively with implied ‘अस्ति’

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• अग्नयः: fires (sacred fires)
• अग्नयः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• विधिवत्: according to rule
• विधिवत्: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• हुताः: offered (as oblations)
• हुताः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हुत (कृदन्त; √हु (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; predicative with implied ‘अस्ति’

• वेदाः: Vedas
• वेदाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• अधीताः: studied
• अधीताः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधीत (कृदन्त; √अधि-इ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘studied/recited’

• चत्वारः: four
• चत्वारः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; numeral adjective qualifying ‘वेदाः’

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana (Instrument/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• रेवावगाहिता: (the Reva) was immersed in / he bathed in Reva
• रेवावगाहिता: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रेवा (प्रातिपदिक) + अवगाहित (कृदन्त; √गाह् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicative; ‘Reva was bathed/entered’ (i.e., he immersed in Reva)

Speaker

Narrative voice within Revā Khaṇḍa; speaker not explicit in snippet

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim emerges from Revā with folded hands; behind him appear symbolic emblems: three sacred fires blazing, four Vedas as radiant manuscripts, and devas receiving offerings—indicating ‘as if accomplished’.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Deva-kārya
• Agni (sacred fires)
• Four Vedas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-bathing in Revā is portrayed as a concentrated form of dharma, conferring merits comparable to major Vedic and ritual obligations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā/Narmadā, whose bathing is said to bestow the fruits of deva-duties, fire-rites, and Vedic study.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Revā-avaghāna (bathing/immersion) is the explicit act; it is praised as equivalent in fruit to maintaining sacred fires and studying the four Vedas.