Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

मृतः कालेन महता तत्र तीर्थे नरेश्वर । शिवस्यानुचरो भूत्वा वसते कालमीप्सितम्

Transliteration

mṛtaḥ kālena mahatā tatra tīrthe nareśvara | śivasyānucaro bhūtvā vasate kālamīpsitam

Translation

O Herr der Menschen, wenn er später zur rechten Zeit stirbt, wird er ein Gefährte und Diener Śivas und weilt (in Śivas Bereich) so lange, wie er es begehrt.

Word by Word

• मृतः: dead / having died
• मृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: mṛ (मृ-धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कालेन: by time
• कालेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (instrumental), एकवचन

• महता: great/long
• महता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (to ‘कालेन’)

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

• तीर्थे: at the tīrtha
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• नर-ईश्वर: O lord of men (king)
• नर-ईश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘नराणाम् ईश्वरः’)

• शिवस्य: of Shiva
• शिवस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• अनुचरः: attendant/follower
• अनुचरः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anucara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू-धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive), ‘having become’

• वसते: dwells
• वसते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vas (वस्-धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• कालम्: time/period
• कालम्: Karma (Extent/Duration as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ईप्सितम्: desired
• ईप्सितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: īpsita (कृदन्त; √āp ‘to obtain’ → ईप्सित ‘desired’)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP sense), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (to ‘कालम्’)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (Nāga-Śiva tīrtha)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nareśvara)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee who worshipped at the tīrtha dies in due time and is welcomed as Śiva’s attendant, dwelling in Śiva’s realm as long as desired.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-sevā and Śiva devotion mature into posthumous proximity to Śiva—service (anucaratva) becomes liberation-like reward.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha being praised in Adhyāya 131 of the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is specified here; it states the fruit (phala) of tīrtha-related devotion—Śiva’s attendance and desired residence.