Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

धर्माख्यानमिदं पुण्यं सर्वाख्यानेष्वनुत्तमम् । गृहेऽपि पठ्यते यस्य चतुर्वर्णस्य सत्तमाः

Transliteration

dharmākhyānamidaṃ puṇyaṃ sarvākhyāneṣvanuttamam | gṛhe'pi paṭhyate yasya caturvarṇasya sattamāḥ

Translation

ধৰ্মৰ এই পুণ্যময় আখ্যান সকলো আখ্যানৰ মাজত অনুত্তম। যি ঘৰত ইয়াক পাঠ কৰা হয়, তাত চাৰিবৰ্ণৰ শ্ৰেষ্ঠজন উপস্থিত থাকে আৰু আশীৰ্বাদ লাভ কৰে।

Word by Word

• धर्म-आख्यानम्: this religious narrative
• धर्म-आख्यानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'धर्मस्य आख्यानम्'

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोग (pointing)

• पुण्यम्: meritorious/holy
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying आख्यानम्)

• सर्व-आख्यानेषु: among all narratives
• सर्व-आख्यानेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: 'सर्वेषु आख्यानेषु'

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed, best
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (superlative sense: unsurpassed)

• गृहे: in a house/home
• गृहे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: 'even/also')

• पठ्यते: is read/recited
• पठ्यते: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पठ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यस्य: of whom/whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• चतुर्-वर्णस्य: of the four social classes
• चतुर्-वर्णस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास: 'चत्वारो वर्णाः' (the four varṇas)

• सत्तमाः: the best (people)
• सत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'श्रेष्ठाः' (best people)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Āvantya Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā-carita (dharma-ākhyāna)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience of the Revā Khaṇḍa discourse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A clean household courtyard with a small altar; a reader chants from a manuscript while men and women sit respectfully; symbolic presence of ‘four varṇas’ as dignified listeners; lamps and tulasī/flowers indicate sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Caturvarṇa (four social orders)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Domestic recitation of a dharma-text sanctifies the household and draws virtuous company and blessings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The home itself becomes a sanctified space through recitation; the focus is on gṛha-pāṭha rather than a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pāṭha—reading/recitation of the dharma-ākhyāna (Narmadā-carita) within one’s home.