Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

तत्र तीर्थे तु यः कश्चित्प्राणत्यागं करिष्यति । शास्त्रयुक्तेन विधिना स गच्छेच्छिवमन्दिरम्

Transliteration

tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ kaścitprāṇatyāgaṃ kariṣyati | śāstrayuktena vidhinā sa gacchecchivamandiram

Translation

An jenem Tīrtha gelangt, wer den Leib nach der von den Śāstras gebilligten Vorschrift hingibt, zur heiligen Wohnstatt Śivas.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — indeclinable adverb of place

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place of pilgrimage
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative singular

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/समुच्चय-व्यतिरेकसूचक) — particle (but/indeed)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular (relative pronoun)

• कश्चित्: someone/anyone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम — indefinite pronoun

• प्राणत्यागम्: giving up of life (death)
• प्राणत्यागम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण + त्याग (प्रातिपदिक); धातु-आधार: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (प्राणानां त्यागः) — genitive tatpurusha

• करिष्यति: will do/perform
• करिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Simple future, 3rd person singular; परस्मैपद

• शास्त्रयुक्तेन: with (a method) sanctioned by scripture
• शास्त्रयुक्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शास्त्र + युक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक); धातु-आधार: युज् (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; तृतीया-समर्थनार्थे विशेषण; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शास्त्रेण/शास्त्रसम्बद्धः) — determinative compound

• विधिना: by the prescribed procedure
• विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular (demonstrative pronoun)

• गच्छेत्: would go/shall go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Optative, 3rd person singular; परस्मैपद

• शिवमन्दिरम्: the temple/abode of Śiva
• शिवमन्दिरम्: Gati-Karma (Destination/गतिकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शिवस्य मन्दिरम्) — genitive tatpurusha

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (contextually Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya addressing the King)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Skanda-tīrtha (Revā-khaṇḍa)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājan (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene riverbank tīrtha with a sādhaka performing final rites in calm composure—japa, controlled breath, facing a liṅga shrine—while subtle divine attendants indicate Śiva’s abode beyond.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Skanda-tīrtha (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

At a supremely holy site, a dharma-aligned, scripture-guided final act is said to lead to Śiva’s realm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha being praised in the passage—Skanda-tīrtha (Revā Khaṇḍa).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prāṇatyāga only when performed with śāstra-based vidhi (scriptural procedure), not as arbitrary self-harm.