Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

एतत्प्रमाणं तत्तीर्थं पिण्डदानादिकर्मसु । नाधर्मनिरता दातुं लभन्ते दानमत्र हि

Transliteration

etatpramāṇaṃ tattīrthaṃ piṇḍadānādikarmasu | nādharmaniratā dātuṃ labhante dānamatra hi

Translation

هذا هو مقدار ذلك التيرثا لأعمالٍ مثل تقديم البيṇḍa وسائر شعائر الأسلاف. أمّا المنغمسون في الأدهرما (adharma) فلا ينالون هنا ثمرة العطاء؛ حقًّا إن الصدقة في هذا الموضع لا تُثمر لهم فضلًا صادقًا.

Word by Word

• एतत्प्रमाणम्: this measure
• एतत्प्रमाणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (एतत् प्रमाणम्)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; विशेषण

• तीर्थम्: tīrtha
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• पिण्डदानादिकर्मसु: in rites such as piṇḍa-offering
• पिण्डदानादिकर्मसु: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्डदान + आदि + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (पिण्डदानादीनि कर्माणि)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Avyaya (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• अधर्मनिरताः: those devoted to unrighteousness
• अधर्मनिरताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधर्म + निरत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी/उपपद-तत्पुरुष (अधर्मे निरताः)

• दातुम्: to give
• दातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्यय (Infinitive), अव्यय; ‘to give’

• लभन्ते: obtain, get
• लभन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• दानम्: gift, charity
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha/Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ-निपात (particle: indeed/for)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlabheda-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A priest indicates the bounded tīrtha area for piṇḍa-dāna; beside him, two donors contrasted—one pure and humble receiving blessing, another arrogant/adharmic shown with dim aura, his offering rejected by the sacred field.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (implicitly via piṇḍa-dāna)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred acts yield full merit only when aligned with dharma; place-sanctity does not excuse adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śūlabheda-tīrtha in the Revā Khaṇḍa, praised as effective for ancestral rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of piṇḍa-dāna and related rites at the tīrtha, with the ethical condition of dharmic conduct.