Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

कोटिवर्षं तु वर्षाणां क्रीडित्वा शिवमन्दिरे । वेदवेदाङ्गविद्विप्रो जायते विमले कुले

Transliteration

koṭivarṣaṃ tu varṣāṇāṃ krīḍitvā śivamandire | vedavedāṅgavidvipro jāyate vimale kule

Translation

Nachdem er zehn Millionen Jahre im Tempel Śivas verweilt und sich erfreut hat, wird er sodann in einer reinen Familie als ein Brāhmaṇa geboren, kundig in den Veden und den Vedāṅgas.

Word by Word

• koṭi-varṣam: for a crore of years
• koṭi-varṣam: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: koṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कालपरिमाणवाचक (duration)

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयबोधक अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• varṣāṇām: of years
• varṣāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘koṭivarṣam’ इत्यस्य सम्बन्धः

• krīḍitvā: having sported/dwelt in joy
• krīḍitvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √krīḍ (धातु; क्रीड् विहारे)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• śiva-mandire: in Śiva’s temple
• śiva-mandire: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + mandira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• veda-vedāṅga-vit-vipraḥ: a brāhmaṇa who knows the Vedas and Vedāṅgas
• veda-vedāṅga-vit-vipraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक) + vedāṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + vit (कृदन्त; √vid ज्ञाने, ‘knower’) + vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘vit’ इति कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिकं (ज्ञाता)

• jāyate: is born
• jāyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jan (धातु; जन् प्रादुर्भावे/जन्मनि)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• vimale: pure
• vimale: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vimala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘kule’)

• kule: in a family/lineage
• kule: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (to Yudhiṣṭhira)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā–Sāgara-saṅgama (Śiva-mandira sambandha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant soul enjoys divine ‘sport’ within a resplendent Śiva temple for vast ages; then a scene shift to a newborn in a pure brāhmaṇa household, later shown studying Vedas with a guru.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Loṭaṇeśvara (implied)
• Revā (Narmadā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion connected to Śiva’s sacred space is said to refine destiny—granting exalted states and a rebirth conducive to dharma and scriptural wisdom.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Loṭaṇeśvara-associated Revā tīrtha, whose proximity to a Śiva-mandira is being praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a specific rite; the verse emphasizes the fruit (phala) of association with Śiva’s temple at the tīrtha.