Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तेषां धर्मं प्रवक्ष्यामि श्रुतिस्मृत्यर्थचोदितम् । येन सम्यक्कृतेनैव सर्वे यान्ति परां गतिम्

Transliteration

teṣāṃ dharmaṃ pravakṣyāmi śrutismṛtyarthacoditam | yena samyakkṛtenaiva sarve yānti parāṃ gatim

Translation

Ich werde ihre Dharma darlegen, wie es der Sinn von Śruti und Smṛti gebietet; durch rechte Ausführung gelangen alle zum höchsten Zustand.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• धर्मम्: dharma, duty
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall proclaim
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• श्रुति-स्मृति-अर्थ-चोदितम्: enjoined by the meaning of śruti and smṛti
• श्रुति-स्मृति-अर्थ-चोदितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक) + स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + चोदित (चुद् धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle) विशेषणम्

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन (Singular), सर्वनाम

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), क्रियाविशेषण (Adverb)

• कृतेन: by the act done
• कृतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (कृ धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), निपात (Particle/emphasis)

• सर्वे: all (persons)
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन (Plural)

• यान्ति: go, attain
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• पराम्: supreme
• पराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम्

• गतिम्: state, goal
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-maṇḍala (contextual)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm teaching scene: a revered speaker declares dharma to a king beside the Revā’s sacred banks; palm-leaf manuscripts and ritual implements indicate śruti-smṛti authority.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Śruti
• Smṛti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rightly performed dharma—rooted in Śruti and Smṛti—becomes a means to the highest spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse functions as a preface to dharma instruction within the Revā Khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is general: perform one’s dharma correctly according to scriptural guidance.