Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 161

Devanagari script

यदि संनिधिमात्रेण फलं तत्रोच्यते कथम् । यदि शंतनुवंशस्य तत्रोन्मादकरं भवेत्

Transliteration

yadi saṃnidhimātreṇa phalaṃ tatrocyate katham | yadi śaṃtanuvaṃśasya tatronmādakaraṃ bhavet

Translation

„Wenn man sagt, dort entstehe die Frucht allein durch bloße Nähe—wie kann das sein? Und wäre es so, würde es für das Geschlecht Śaṃtanus zum Anlass von Raserei und Verwirrung.“

Word by Word

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition marker/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), शर्तार्थक-निपात (conditional particle: 'if')

• saṃnidhi-mātreṇa: by mere proximity
• saṃnidhi-mātreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃnidhi (प्रातिपदिक) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुषः (saṃnidhi-mātra: 'mere proximity')

• phalaṃ: result/fruit
• phalaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: 'there')

• ucyate: is said/declared
• ucyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• katham: how?
• katham: Kriya-visheshana (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), प्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition marker/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), शर्तार्थक-निपात (conditional particle)

• śaṃtanu-vaṃśasya: of Śaṃtanu’s lineage
• śaṃtanu-vaṃśasya: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃtanu (प्रातिपदिक) + vaṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुषः (śaṃtanu-vaṃśa: 'lineage of Śaṃtanu')

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), देशवाचक-अव्यय

• unmāda-karaṃ: madness-causing
• unmāda-karaṃ: Karta-predicative (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: unmāda (प्रातिपदिक) + kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुषः (unmāda-kara: 'madness-causing')

• bhavet: would be/might become
• bhavet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Divya-vāṇī (continuing speech; rhetorical clarification)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vāk (or the explaining authority)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A questioning interlocutor challenges the doctrine: a king or courtly figure gestures in inquiry; behind him, a faint genealogical motif (Śaṃtanu line) suggests the example; the river remains as silent witness.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṃtanu-vaṃśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teaching distinguishes mere physical proximity from purposeful observance—merit depends on rite, faith, and right action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discussion belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa’s tīrtha-phala context, though no single named tīrtha is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implicitly stresses that results are not from mere presence alone, but from properly performed prescribed worship and charity.