Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

दत्त्वार्घपाद्यं विधिवल्लिंगस्य सह पक्षिणा । अर्चयन्तीर्वरारोहा दश ताः प्रमदोत्तमाः

Transliteration

dattvārghapādyaṃ vidhivalliṃgasya saha pakṣiṇā | arcayantīrvarārohā daśa tāḥ pramadottamāḥ

Translation

وبعد أن قدّمن على الوجه الشرعي الأَرغْيا والبَادْيا للِّينغا، مع الطائر، شرعت تلك النسوة العشر، وهنّ من خيرة النساء ذوات الوقار والبهاء، في عبادته وفق الطقس القويم.

Word by Word

• दत्त्वा: having offered/given
• दत्त्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: √दा (to give)

• अर्घपाद्यम्: arghya and water for washing the feet
• अर्घपाद्यम्: Karma (object of offering)
• Type: Noun
• Root: argha + pādya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्वसमास (अर्घं च पाद्यं च), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विधिवत्: according to the proper rite
• विधिवत्: Kriya-vishesana (manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vidhi-vat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (genitive; object of worship)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakari (accompaniment)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (preposition-like), सह-योगे

• पक्षिणा: with the bird
• पक्षिणा: Sahakari (accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pakṣin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• अर्चयन्तीः: worshipping
• अर्चयन्तीः: Karta (agent; participial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arc (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद-प्रयोग

• वरारोहाः: beautiful women
• वरारोहाः: Karta (subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara + ārohā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (वरं/श्रेष्ठं आरोहणं/आरोहः यस्याः; ‘सुन्दर-आरोहाः’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• दश: ten
• दश: Karta (quantifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśan (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, अव्ययवत्; स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रथमा बहुवचन ‘ताः’ इति विशेषण

• ताः: those (women)
• ताः: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• प्रमदोत्तमाः: the best of women
• प्रमदोत्तमाः: Karta (subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pramadā + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (प्रमदानां उत्तमाः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (a first-person pilgrim/observer within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Unnamed Revā-side Liṅga-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ten noble women stand before a solitary Liṅga in an excellent sacred courtyard; they pour arghya and offer pādya with ritual vessels, flowers in hand; beside them is a ‘kingly bird’ participating or present as a companion-symbol.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Liṅga)
• pakṣin (bird)
• Revā-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Proper, rule-bound worship (vidhivat arcana) offered with devotion is presented as a direct means to honor Śiva and awaken sacred merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā-kṣetra (the Narmadā/Revā sacred region) within the Āvantya Khaṇḍa’s Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering arghya and pādya to the Śiva Liṅga, followed by formal worship (arcana) according to prescribed rite.