Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 100

Devanagari script

क्षयं यान्ति च दानानि यज्ञहोमबलिक्रियाः । न क्षीयते महाराज तत्र तीर्थे तु यत्कृतम्

Transliteration

kṣayaṃ yānti ca dānāni yajñahomabalikriyāḥ | na kṣīyate mahārāja tatra tīrthe tu yatkṛtam

Translation

Gaben, Opfer, Feuerdarbringungen und Bali-Riten können in ihrer Frucht schwinden, o großer König; doch was an jenem Tīrtha getan wird, nimmt nicht ab.

Word by Word

• क्षयम्: to decay/destruction
• क्षयम्: Gati-karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यान्ति: go/come to
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• दानानि: gifts/charities
• दानानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• यज्ञहोमबलिक्रियाः: sacrifices, oblations, offerings, and rites
• यज्ञहोमबलिक्रियाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + होम + बलि + क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक-समाहार)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (copulative)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• क्षीयते: perishes/wanes
• क्षीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षि (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज (प्रातिपदिक; महा + राजन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: however/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषबोधक-अव्यय (particle)

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (relative)

• कृतम्: done/performed
• कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (deduced: narrator addressing a king — 'mahārāja')

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (Someśvara area)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (great king) addressed; also Pāṇḍava context nearby

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king listens as a sage points to the sacred ghat; above the ghat, a symbolic 'akṣaya' vessel (pūrṇa-kumbha) radiates steady light, while fading ritual flames elsewhere contrast with the undying glow at the tīrtha.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Place sanctity can make religious actions ‘imperishable’ in merit, highlighting tīrtha as a multiplier and preserver of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The particular Revā/Narmadā tīrtha praised throughout Adhyāya 142, described as granting akṣaya (non-decreasing) merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

General tīrtha-karma: dāna, yajña, homa, and bali rites—emphasizing their imperishable result when performed there.