Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणः क्षत्रियैर्वैश्यैः शूद्रैः स्त्रीभिश्च शक्तितः । तेऽपि यान्ति नरा लोके शांकरे सुरपूजिते

Transliteration

brāhmaṇaḥ kṣatriyairvaiśyaiḥ śūdraiḥ strībhiśca śaktitaḥ | te'pi yānti narā loke śāṃkare surapūjite

Translation

Brahmanen, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, Śūdras und auch Frauen—ein jeder nach seiner Kraft—gelangen auch sie in die Welt Śaṅkaras, die von den Göttern verehrt wird.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समुच्चय-निर्देशः (जातिविशेषः)

• क्षत्रियैः: with Kṣatriyas
• क्षत्रियैः: Sahakari (Associate/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; सहार्थे (समुच्चय)

• वैश्यैः: with Vaiśyas
• वैश्यैः: Sahakari (Associate/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• शूद्रैः: with Śūdras
• शूद्रैः: Sahakari (Associate/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• स्त्रीभिः: with women
• स्त्रीभिः: Sahakari (Associate/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Discourse/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• शक्तितः: according to one’s capacity
• शक्तितः: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय; तद्धितान्त-अव्यय (तसिल्/तस्), अर्थः: यथाशक्ति (according to ability)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Discourse/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपातः (also/even)

• यान्ति: go/attain
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नराः: men/people
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; यान्ति इत्यस्य कर्ता

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• शांकरे: in Śaṅkara’s (Śiva’s) realm
• शांकरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शांकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (लोके)

• सुरपूजिते: worshipped by the gods
• सुरपूजिते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुर + पूजित (प्रातिपदिक; पूजित = पूज् क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (सुरैः पूजिते) विशेषणम् (लोके)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkara sura-pūjita kṣetra at Revā (unspecified)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A diverse assembly—Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra, and women—offer lamps and flowers at a Śiva shrine by the river; devas appear in the sky honoring the worship, indicating ‘sura-pūjita’.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Access to sacred merit is broadened: devotion and capacity-based participation, not birth alone, is emphasized in tīrtha fruits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā Khaṇḍa Śaiva tīrtha being described (connected with Śaṅkara/Karoḍeśvara worship).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Participation “according to ability” (śaktitaḥ) in the prescribed sacred works (such as worship/temple building) at the tīrtha.