Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

यमनियमयज्ञदानं वेदाभ्यासश्च धारणायोगः । त्वद्भक्तेः सर्वमिदं नार्हन्ति वै कलासहस्रांशम्

Transliteration

yamaniyamayajñadānaṃ vedābhyāsaśca dhāraṇāyogaḥ | tvadbhakteḥ sarvamidaṃ nārhanti vai kalāsahasrāṃśam

Translation

Yama und Niyama, Opfer und Gabe, Vedenstudium und die Yoga-Übung der Sammlung—nichts davon, wahrlich, kommt auch nur einem Tausendstel der Hingabe an Dich gleich.

Word by Word

• यम: restraint (yama)
• यम: (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• नियम: observance (niyama)
• नियम: (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• यज्ञ: sacrifice
• यज्ञ: (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• दानम्: yama, niyama, sacrifice, and charity
• दानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—यम+नियम+यज्ञ+दान (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• वेदाभ्यासः: study of the Veda
• वेदाभ्यासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद-अभ्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—वेदस्य अभ्यासः (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

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

• धारणा: concentration (dhāraṇā)
• धारणा: (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• योगः: yoga of concentration
• योगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—धारणायाः योगः / धारणारूपो योगः (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• त्वद्भक्तेः: of/than your devotion
• त्वद्भक्तेः: Apadana/Comparison point (Standard/अपादान-तुलना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद्-भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—त्वयि भक्तिः / त्वदीया भक्तिः (Feminine, Genitive, Singular)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

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

• अर्हन्ति: are worthy / equal
• अर्हन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (Present Indicative, 3rd person, Plural)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• कला: parts/digits
• कला: (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-बहुवचन (Feminine, Genitive, Plural)

• सहस्र: thousand
• सहस्र: (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-बहुवचन (Neuter, Genitive, Plural)

• अंशम्: a thousandth part (fraction)
• अंशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कलानां सहस्रस्य अंशः (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

Speaker

Bhṛgu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (Narmadā) devotional observance

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A comparative tableau: on one side ascetics practicing yama-niyama, priests conducting yajña, donors giving gifts, students reciting Veda, yogins in dhāraṇā; at the center a simple devotee offering a leaf and water with intense love—radiance emanates from devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Bhṛgu
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion (bhakti) is portrayed as the heart of all disciplines, surpassing ritual, austerity, study, and yogic technique in spiritual efficacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this line; it functions as a universal bhakti teaching within the Revā Khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It lists yama-niyama, yajña, dāna, Veda study, and dhāraṇā-yoga, but elevates Śiva-bhakti as superior to them all.