Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

दशभिर्जन्मभिर्लब्धं शतेन तु पुराकृतम् । त्रियुगं तु सहस्रेण गायत्री हन्ति किल्बिषम्

Transliteration

daśabhirjanmabhirlabdhaṃ śatena tu purākṛtam | triyugaṃ tu sahasreṇa gāyatrī hanti kilbiṣam

Translation

Sünden, die in zehn Geburten angesammelt wurden, und die einst über hundert Zeitmaße begangen wurden, ja selbst solche, die sich über drei Yugas erstrecken — Gāyatrī vernichtet sie durch hinreichendes Wiederholen, selbst tausendfach.

Word by Word

• दशभिः: by ten
• दशभिः: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक-प्रयोगे, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• जन्मभिः: births
• जन्मभिः: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• लब्धम्: obtained/accumulated
• लब्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लभ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि (past passive participle)

• शतेन: by a hundred
• शतेन: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोध

• पुराकृतम्: done previously (in the past)
• पुराकृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय) + कृत (कृदन्त; कृ धातु + क्त)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘पूर्वं कृतम्’

• त्रियुगम्: (sins of) three yugas
• त्रियुगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (त्रीणि युगानि)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• सहस्रेण: by a thousand
• सहस्रेण: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental (by a thousand [recitations])

• गायत्री: Gāyatrī
• गायत्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हन्ति: destroys
• हन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• किल्बिषम्: sin/impurity
• किल्बिषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किल्बिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-khaṇḍa (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visual allegory: a stream of dark smoke-like ‘sins’ labeled by births and yugas dissolving into a radiant mantra-light emanating from the meditator; time-wheels (yuga-cakra) fading in the glow of Gāyatrī.

Characters & Entities

• Gāyatrī
• Yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustained mantra-japa—especially Gāyatrī—is portrayed as capable of burning deep karmic residue across vast time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is a general glorification (mahimā) of Gāyatrī within the Revā Khaṇḍa context rather than a named site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It indicates the efficacy of large-count Gāyatrī-japa (e.g., a thousand recitations) for expiating sins.