Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

धूपनैवेद्यकं दद्यात्पठेत्पौराणिकीं कथाम् । तत्र स्थाने स्थिता भक्त्या जपं कुर्वन्ति ये नराः

Transliteration

dhūpanaivedyakaṃ dadyātpaṭhetpaurāṇikīṃ kathām | tatra sthāne sthitā bhaktyā japaṃ kurvanti ye narāḥ

Translation

ينبغي أن يقدّم البخور وقرابين الطعام، وأن يتلو حكايةً مقدّسة من البورانا. والذين يثبتون في ذلك الموضع المقدّس بتعبّد ويؤدّون الجَپا (japa)—ينالون الثواب المذكور.

Word by Word

• dhūpa-naivedyakam: incense and food-offering
• dhūpa-naivedyakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + naivedya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः द्वन्द्वः (धूपः च नैवेद्यम् च)

• dadyāt: should give
• dadyāt: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धा॒तु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• paṭhet: should recite/read
• paṭhet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: paṭh (धा॒तु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• paurāṇikīm: purāṇic
• paurāṇikīm: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paurāṇikī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• kathām: story/narration
• kathām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• sthāne: in the place
• sthāne: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• sthitāḥ: standing/remaining
• sthitāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthita (कृदन्त; √sthā)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (नराः)

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• japam: repetition (japa)
• japam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: japa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• kurvanti: do/perform
• kurvanti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धा॒tu)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक; सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• narāḥ: men/people
• narāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), बहुवचन

Speaker

Unspecified teacher (Revākhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in a riverside shrine precinct offers incense and a simple naivedya before a linga or tīrtha-devatā, while a reciter chants a Purāṇic kathā; nearby devotees sit in japa with rosaries, facing the sanctum and the river.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied through arcana context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

At a sacred place, worship is completed by both ritual offerings and sacred listening/recitation, culminating in devoted japa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The unspecified ‘tatra sthāne’ refers to the Revā Khaṇḍa’s sanctified locale(s) along the Narmadā pilgrimage circuit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer dhūpa and naivedya, recite a Purāṇic kathā, and perform japa while staying at the holy site.