Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

श्राद्धदो निवसेत्तत्र यत्र देवो महेश्वरः । स्युरात्मघातिनो ये च गोब्राह्मणहनाश्च ये

Transliteration

śrāddhado nivasettatra yatra devo maheśvaraḥ | syurātmaghātino ye ca gobrāhmaṇahanāśca ye

Translation

ليقِم مُؤدّي طقوس الشرادها (śrāddha) حيث يقيم الإله ماهيشڤارا (Maheśvara). فهناك أيضًا يُوجَد من قتلوا أنفسهم، ومن قتلوا الأبقار والبراهمة، وهم من عِظام الآثمين.

Word by Word

• श्राद्धदः: the giver of śrāddha (funeral offering)
• श्राद्धदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध-द (प्रातिपदिक; दा-धातु से निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (श्राद्धस्य दः = श्राद्धं ददाति इति)

• निवसेत्: should reside
• निवसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक देशवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• महेश्वरः: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरः: Apposition (समानााधिकरण/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् ईश्वरः)

• स्युः: would be / may be
• स्युः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• आत्मघातिनः: self-killers
• आत्मघातिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्म-घातिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (आत्मनः घातिनः)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

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

• गोब्राह्मणहनाः: killers of cows and Brahmins
• गोब्राह्मणहनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो-ब्राह्मण-हन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समाहार/द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद + तत्पुरुषः (गोब्राह्मणयोः हन्तारः)

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

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha associated with Maheśvara (as per Revākhaṇḍa context)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhūpati (King) implied in surrounding verses

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn riverbank tīrtha on Revā: a śrāddha-performer seated on kuśa, offering piṇḍa and water; behind him a Śiva-liṅga shrine indicating Maheśvara’s abiding presence; shadowy figures of troubled departed (ātmaghātin, go/brāhmaṇa-hantṛ) at the edge, receiving grace.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Brāhmaṇa
• Cow (go)
• Ātmaghātin (self-slayer)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Proximity to Śiva’s sacred presence is portrayed as a transformative refuge even amidst narratives of grave sin and suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Śūlabheda sacred area where Maheśvara is said to abide, within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-vāsa (dwelling at the sacred place) for one who performs śrāddha, centered on Maheśvara’s presence.