Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

सत्रयाजिफलं जन्तुर्लभते द्वादशाब्दकैः । ब्राह्मणान्भोजयंस्तत्र तदेव लभते फलम्

Transliteration

satrayājiphalaṃ janturlabhate dvādaśābdakaiḥ | brāhmaṇānbhojayaṃstatra tadeva labhate phalam

Translation

Die Frucht eines Satra-Yajña erlangt ein Wesen erst nach zwölf Jahren; doch dort erlangt man durch das Speisen der Brāhmaṇas eben dieselbe Frucht.

Word by Word

• सत्रयाजिफलम्: the fruit of a satra-sacrificer
• सत्रयाजिफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्रयाजि + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सत्रयाजिनः फलम्)

• जन्तुः: a person/creature
• जन्तुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• द्वादशाब्दकैः: by (the span of) twelve years
• द्वादशाब्दकैः: Karana (Measure/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादश + अब्दक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (द्वादश अब्दकाः = twelve years)

• ब्राह्मणान्: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• भोजयन्: feeding (causing to eat)
• भोजयन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

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

• तत्: that (same)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; emphasis)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: on one side, a grand satra-yajña with many priests and fires; on the other, a simple feeding line at the Revā ghāṭa—both shown with equal radiance to signify equal fruit.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Satra-yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Simple, devotional charity—especially feeding brāhmaṇas—can equal the merit of long, complex sacrificial rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa backdrop implies the Revā/Narmadā sacred region, though the verse focuses on the act of feeding rather than a named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Brāhmaṇa-bhojana (feeding brāhmaṇas) as a merit-yielding substitute comparable to a twelve-year satra.