Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

भार्यापक्षे दशैवेह कुलान्येतानि तारयेत् । शूलभेदवने राजञ्छाकमूलफलैरपि

Transliteration

bhāryāpakṣe daśaiveha kulānyetāni tārayet | śūlabhedavane rājañchākamūlaphalairapi

Translation

Und auf der Seite der Gattin erlöst er hier zehn Familien. O König, im Wald von Śūlabheda—selbst mit bloßem Grün, Wurzeln und Früchten (in Hingabe dargebracht)—wird dieses Verdienst erlangt.

Word by Word

• भार्या: wife's
• भार्या: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (as first member in compound)

• पक्षे: on the side (lineage)
• पक्षे: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/side/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (locative), एकवचन (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: भार्यायाः पक्षः

• दश: ten
• दश: Karma (Object: number/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative) एकवचनवत् प्रयोग (as count)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis)

• इह: here
• इह: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (Place adjunct/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: here)

• कुलानि: families/lineages
• कुलानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative), बहुवचन (plural)

• एतानि: these
• एतानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण (pronominal adjective), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (accusative), बहुवचन

• तारयेत्: should deliver/save
• तारयेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तॄ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); causative sense in usage 'should deliver'

• शूलभेदवने: in the Śūlabheda forest
• शूलभेदवने: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूलभेदवन (प्रातिपदिक: शूलभेद + वन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (locative), एकवचन (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: शूलभेदस्य वनम्

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (vocative), एकवचन (singular)

• शाक: vegetables
• शाक: Karaṇa (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental) बहुवचन-समासपूर्वपद (as member of compound)

• मूल: roots
• मूल: Karaṇa (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental) बहुवचन-समासपूर्वपद

• फलैः: with vegetables, roots, and fruits
• फलैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन (plural); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व: शाक + मूल + फल

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवादार्थक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing a King (rājan) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlabheda-vana

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a forest shrine, the pilgrim offers a leaf-plate of greens, roots, and fruits to Śiva; beside him stands his wife, and behind them appear ten ancestral figures of the wife’s line receiving light, indicating deliverance.

Characters & Entities

• Śūlabheda-vana (forest of Śūlabheda)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincerity outweighs luxury: even simple offerings at a powerful tīrtha can uplift many generations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śūlabheda-vana (the Śūlabheda sacred forest) within the Revā Khaṇḍa pilgrimage landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering śāka (greens), mūla (roots), and phala (fruits) as part of rite/feeding/śrāddha-supporting acts at Śūlabheda.