Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

मन्वन्तरादयश्चैते अनन्तफलदाः स्मृताः । अयने चोत्तरे राजन्दक्षिणे श्राद्धमाचरेत्

Transliteration

manvantarādayaścaite anantaphaladāḥ smṛtāḥ | ayane cottare rājandakṣiṇe śrāddhamācaret

Translation

هذه المناسبات، ابتداءً بالمانفنترا، تُذكَر بأنها واهبة لثمار لا نهاية لها. وأيها الملك، ينبغي أداء شرادها (Śrāddha) في كلٍّ من أوتّرايانا (Uttarāyaṇa) ودكشيناينا (Dakṣiṇāyaṇa)، موسمي الانقلابين الشمالي والجنوبي.

Word by Word

• manvantara-ādayaḥ: Manvantaras and others
• manvantara-ādayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manvantara (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन — ‘Manvantaras and the like’ (आदि-शब्देन समाहार)

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

• ete: these
• ete: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन — सर्वनाम; ‘these’

• ananta-phala-dāḥ: bestowing endless results
• ananta-phala-dāḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ananta (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक) + dā (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन — वर्तमानकृदन्त/उपपद-समास: ‘giving endless fruit’

• smṛtāḥ: are said/are regarded
• smṛtāḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — ‘are considered/remembered’ (कर्मणि प्रयोगः)

• ayane: in the ayana (solstitial period)
• ayane: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ayana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — ‘in (the) solstice/ayana’

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

• uttare: in the northern (uttarāyaṇa)
• uttare: Visheshana (Qualifier of adhikaraṇa/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — विशेषण; ‘in the northern (ayana)’

• rājan: O king
• rājan: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन — ‘O king’

• dakṣiṇe: in the southern (dakṣiṇāyana)
• dakṣiṇe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन — विशेषण; ‘in the southern (ayana)’

• śrāddham: śrāddha (ancestral rite)
• śrāddham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन — ‘śrāddha rite’

• ācaret: should perform
• ācaret: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-car (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘should perform’

Speaker

Deductive (Revākhaṇḍa narrative voice addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājan (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage explains manvantara and solstice seasons to a king; a solar disc motif marks uttarāyaṇa/dakṣiṇāyaṇa while families perform śrāddha by a river with kuśa grass and water offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Uttarāyaṇa
• Dakṣiṇāyaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When rites are aligned with great cosmic rhythms (Manvantara markers and the two ayanas), their merit is described as inexhaustible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tirtha is specified; the teaching spotlights sacred time within the Revā Khaṇḍa discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Śrāddha during both Uttarāyaṇa and Dakṣiṇāyaṇa, and honor Manvantara-related occasions for exceptional fruit.