Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तेन दानोत्थपुण्येन पूतात्मानो नराधिप । वसन्ति रोमसंख्यानि वर्षाणि शिवसन्निधौ

Transliteration

tena dānotthapuṇyena pūtātmāno narādhipa | vasanti romasaṃkhyāni varṣāṇi śivasannidhau

Translation

O König, durch das aus jener Gabe entspringende Verdienst werden ihre Seelen geläutert, und sie weilen in Śivas Nähe Jahre unzählbar, so zahlreich wie die Haare am Körper.

Word by Word

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दानोत्थपुण्येन: by the merit arising from the gift
• दानोत्थपुण्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान + उत्थ + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—दानात् उत्थम् पुण्यम् (पञ्चमी/तृतीया-तत्पुरुष-भावः)

• पूतात्मानः: those of purified selves
• पूतात्मानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूत + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—पूतः आत्मा येषाम् (कर्मधारय-रूपेण बहुवचन-प्रयोगः)

• नराधिप: O king
• नराधिप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नराधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—नराणाम् अधिपः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• वसन्ति: dwell
• वसन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• रोमसंख्यानि: as many as the hairs (countless)
• रोमसंख्यानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रोम + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier) वर्षाणि; समासः—रोम्णां संख्या (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• वर्षाणि: years
• वर्षाणि: Karma (Extent/कर्म-प्रवृत्ति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (कालपरिमाणे)

• शिवसन्निधौ: in the presence of Śiva
• शिवसन्निधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—शिवस्य सन्निधिः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

Speaker

Deductive (Revā Khaṇḍa narrative voice; likely addressing a kingly listener)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Daśakanyā-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: O narādhipa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A purified donor’s soul is shown radiant, dwelling near Śiva in a luminous realm; Śiva seated in calm majesty, attendants and sacred light indicating ‘sannidhi’.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna performed with dharmic intent purifies the self and leads to proximity with Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ongoing context is Daśakanyā-tīrtha in the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Charity (dāna) as a means of accruing puṇya that yields Śiva’s proximity.