Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

धर्माख्यानमिदं पुण्यं सर्वाख्यानेष्वनुत्तमम् । गृहेऽपि पठ्यते यस्य चतुर्वर्णस्य सत्तमाः

Transliteration

dharmākhyānamidaṃ puṇyaṃ sarvākhyāneṣvanuttamam | gṛhe'pi paṭhyate yasya caturvarṇasya sattamāḥ

Translation

Diese heilige Dharma-Erzählung ist unter allen Berichten die höchste. In dem Haus, in dem sie vorgetragen wird, sind die Besten der vier Varṇas gegenwärtig und gesegnet.

Word by Word

• धर्म-आख्यानम्: this religious narrative
• धर्म-आख्यानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'धर्मस्य आख्यानम्'

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण-प्रयोग (pointing)

• पुण्यम्: meritorious/holy
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying आख्यानम्)

• सर्व-आख्यानेषु: among all narratives
• सर्व-आख्यानेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: 'सर्वेषु आख्यानेषु'

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed, best
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (superlative sense: unsurpassed)

• गृहे: in a house/home
• गृहे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: 'even/also')

• पठ्यते: is read/recited
• पठ्यते: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पठ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यस्य: of whom/whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• चतुर्-वर्णस्य: of the four social classes
• चतुर्-वर्णस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास: 'चत्वारो वर्णाः' (the four varṇas)

• सत्तमाः: the best (people)
• सत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'श्रेष्ठाः' (best people)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Āvantya Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā-carita (dharma-ākhyāna)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience of the Revā Khaṇḍa discourse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A clean household courtyard with a small altar; a reader chants from a manuscript while men and women sit respectfully; symbolic presence of ‘four varṇas’ as dignified listeners; lamps and tulasī/flowers indicate sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Caturvarṇa (four social orders)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Domestic recitation of a dharma-text sanctifies the household and draws virtuous company and blessings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The home itself becomes a sanctified space through recitation; the focus is on gṛha-pāṭha rather than a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pāṭha—reading/recitation of the dharma-ākhyāna (Narmadā-carita) within one’s home.