Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

अनेन विधिना कृत्वा न पश्येन्नरकान्नरः । तत्र तीर्थे मृतानां तु नराणां विधिना नृप

Transliteration

anena vidhinā kṛtvā na paśyennarakānnaraḥ | tatra tīrthe mṛtānāṃ tu narāṇāṃ vidhinā nṛpa

Translation

Wer die Riten nach dieser Vorschrift vollzieht, erblickt die Höllen nicht. Und, o König, für die Menschen, die an jenem Tīrtha sterben, stellen sich die Wirkungen gemäß der verordneten Regel ein.

Word by Word

• अनेन: by this
• अनेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: तृतीया एकवचनम्; पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (instrumental singular) — ‘by this’

• विधिना: by the procedure; by the rule
• विधिना: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया एकवचनम्; पुल्लिङ्ग (instrumental singular masculine)

• कृत्वा: having done; after performing
• कृत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययीभावरूप (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having done)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negative particle)

• पश्येत्: would see; should see
• पश्येत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश्/दृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम् (3rd person singular optative)

• नरकान्: hells; hellish realms
• नरकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया बहुवचनम्; पुल्लिङ्ग (accusative plural masculine)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा एकवचनम्; पुल्लिङ्ग (nominative singular masculine)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Locative of place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb: there)

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place of pilgrimage
• तीर्थे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी एकवचनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (locative singular neuter)

• मृतानाम्: of the dead
• मृतानाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (मृ धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle); षष्ठी बहुवचनम्; पुल्लिङ्ग (genitive plural masculine) — ‘of the dead’

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वयार्थक (particle: but/indeed)

• नराणाम्: of men
• नराणाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी बहुवचनम्; पुल्लिङ्ग (genitive plural masculine)

• विधिना: by the prescribed method
• विधिना: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया एकवचनम्; पुल्लिङ्ग (instrumental singular masculine)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन एकवचनम्; पुल्लिङ्ग (vocative singular masculine)

Speaker

Unspecified; addressed to a king (nṛpa) within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative frame

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (unnamed sub-site)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king listens as a sage points to ritual order: a river ghat with offerings arranged; a symbolic gate to dark naraka is shown closed, while a bright path opens for those who die at the tīrtha under proper rule.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Naraka (hell)
• Nṛpa (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A disciplined sacred regimen and the sanctity of a tīrtha together safeguard the soul’s post-mortem journey.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A particular Revā/Narmadā tīrtha referenced as 'tatra tīrthe' within the Revā Khaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Following the specified vidhi (procedure) for rites connected to the tīrtha and for those who die there.