Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

भवकोटिशतोत्पन्नषुण्यराशिविपाकतः । लभ्यते वा पुनस्तत्र बिल्वपत्रार्चनं विभोः

Transliteration

bhavakoṭiśatotpannaṣuṇyarāśivipākataḥ | labhyate vā punastatra bilvapatrārcanaṃ vibhoḥ

Translation

কোটি কোটি জন্মে সঞ্চিত পুণ্য‑পাপের শূন্যরাশি-সদৃশ বিপাক পরিপক্ব হলে তবেই, সেই পবিত্র প্রসঙ্গে, বিভু প্রভুর বিল্বপত্রে অর্চনার সুযোগ লাভ হয়।

Word by Word

• भव: of (worldly) existence; birth
• भव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषे पूर्वपद (समासाङ्ग), एकवचन (genitive sense in compound)

• कोटि: crore; ten million
• कोटि: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषे मध्यपद (समासाङ्ग), एकवचन (genitive sense in compound)

• शत: hundred
• शत: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषे मध्यपद (समासाङ्ग), एकवचन (genitive sense in compound)

• उत्पन्न: arisen; produced
• उत्पन्न: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्√पद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → उत्पन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासान्त-विशेषण)

• शून्य: void; empty
• शून्य: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शून्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषे पूर्वपद (समासाङ्ग), एकवचन (genitive sense in compound)

• राशि: heap; mass; collection
• राशि: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राशि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषे मध्यपद (समासाङ्ग), एकवचन (genitive sense in compound)

• विपाकतः: from the fruition/result
• विपाकतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विपाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; तसिल्-अर्थे ‘-तः’ (ablative: from/as a result of)

• लभ्यते: is obtained
• लभ्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• वा: or; indeed
• वा: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (particle of alternative)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Adhikarana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक अव्यय (adverb: again)

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

• बिल्वपत्रार्चनम्: worship with bilva leaves
• बिल्वपत्रार्चनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिल्व-पत्र-अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक; components: बिल्व + पत्र + अर्चन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (बिल्वस्य पत्राणि → बिल्वपत्रम्; ततः तेन/तस्य अर्चनम्)

• विभोः: of the Lord
• विभोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

Speaker

Deductive: Purāṇic narrator within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa (likely Sūta-style narration to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee in a sacred precinct approaches a Śiva-liṅga with a copper vessel and a plate of fresh bilva leaves; the atmosphere suggests the weight of countless births culminating in a single auspicious offering.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Vibhu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Access to simple Śiva-worship (bilva-leaf offering) is portrayed as extraordinarily rare—attained only after long karmic maturation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; the praise functions as a general māhātmya within the Brahmottarakhaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bilvapatrārcana—offering bilva leaves in worship of the Lord (Śiva), typically to the Śivaliṅga.