Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणान् पूजयेद्भक्त्या पूजयित्वा प्रणम्य च । नानाविधैर्महाभोगैः शिवलोके महीयते

Transliteration

brāhmaṇān pūjayedbhaktyā pūjayitvā praṇamya ca | nānāvidhairmahābhogaiḥ śivaloke mahīyate

Translation

ينبغي إكرام البراهمة بتعبّد؛ فإذا عُبدوا ثم انحنى المرء لهم، عُظِّم في عالم شيفا، متمتّعًا بأنواع شتّى من النعيم السماوي العظيم.

Word by Word

• brāhmaṇān: Brahmins
• brāhmaṇān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• pūjayet: should worship/honour
• pūjayet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (धा॒तु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

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

• pūjayitvā: having worshipped
• pūjayitvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (धा॒तु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• praṇamya: having bowed
• praṇamya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-ṇam (धा॒तु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

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

• nānāvidhaiḥ: with various kinds of
• nānāvidhaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nānā (अव्यय) + vidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (नानाविधाः)

• mahābhogaiḥ: with great enjoyments/offerings
• mahābhogaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान्तः भोगाः)

• śivaloke: in Śiva’s world
• śivaloke: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य लोकः)

• mahīyate: is honoured/glorified
• mahīyate: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: mah (धा॒तु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is honoured/glorified)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Revā Khaṇḍa narrative style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims in a tīrtha-dharmashala or temple courtyard wash the feet of Brāhmaṇas, offer garlands and food, then bow; above, a symbolic vision of Śiva-loka with radiant Shiva indicates the promised fruit.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Śiva
• Śivaloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional honor and humility toward Brāhmaṇas is taught as a powerful dharmic act leading to exaltation in Śiva’s realm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa, associated with the Revā/Narmadā sacred geography (Revā-kṣetra).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Brāhmaṇa-pūjā (honoring Brāhmaṇas) along with praṇāma (bowing) performed with bhakti.