Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

प्रियवासे शिवे लोके वसन्ति कालमीप्सितम् । तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजंस्तर्पयन्पितृदेवताः

Transliteration

priyavāse śive loke vasanti kālamīpsitam | tatra snātvā naro rājaṃstarpayanpitṛdevatāḥ

Translation

Sie verweilen die gewünschte Zeit in Priyavāsa, der glückverheißenden Welt Śivas. O König, nachdem ein Mensch dort gebadet hat, soll er Tarpana darbringen, zur Befriedigung der Pitṛs und der Gottheiten.

Word by Word

• प्रियवासे: in the beloved abode
• प्रियवासे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय-वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• शिवे: auspicious
• शिवे: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण of लोके

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• वसन्ति: they dwell
• वसन्ति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कालम्: time, period
• कालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ईप्सितम्: desired, wished-for
• ईप्सितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईप्सित (कृदन्त; √आप्/ईप्स् धात्वर्थे)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृदन्त/कृतप्रत्यय (desired); विशेषण of कालम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तर्पयन्: satiating, offering libations to
• तर्पयन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नरः इत्यस्य विशेषण

• पितृदेवताः: the ancestral deities (pitṛs)
• पितृदेवताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ-देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Narrator addressing a King (contextual; Revā Khaṇḍa narration—listener is ‘rājan’)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Priyavāsa (as phala-loka)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene river ghat at dawn: a pilgrim emerges from snāna, then performs tarpana with cupped hands; subtle vision of a luminous Śiva-world (Priyavāsa) above, suggesting the fruit of the rite.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Priyavāsa
• Pitṛs
• Devatās

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is fulfilled by dharmic action—purifying bath and offerings to gods and ancestors—leading to auspicious residence in Śiva’s realm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha associated with ‘Priyavāsa’ and Śiva’s auspicious sphere, within the Revā Khaṇḍa sacred itinerary.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (holy bath) followed by tarpaṇa to Pitṛs and devatās.