Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

स्वर्गश्च नरकश्चैव इत्येवं वैदिकी श्रुतिः

Transliteration

svargaśca narakaścaiva ityevaṃ vaidikī śrutiḥ

Translation

“Heaven and hell”—so indeed declares the Vedic Śruti (revelation).

Word by Word

• स्वर्गः: heaven
• स्वर्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction: 'and')

• नरकः: hell
• नरकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle: 'indeed/just')

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणसूचक-अव्यय

• एवम्: thus; in this way
• एवम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: 'thus/in this way')

• वैदिकी: Vedic
• वैदिकी: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैदिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• श्रुतिः: scriptural tradition; śruti
• श्रुतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira (contextual continuation of his statement)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage gestures toward a palm-leaf Vedic text, affirming 'svarga and naraka' as śruti; the disciple listens soberly, sensing ethical gravity.

Characters & Entities

• Svarga
• Naraka
• Vedic Śruti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It grounds the tīrtha-discussion in śruti-based moral causality: actions and dharma lead to distinct outcomes (svarga/naraka).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named in this line; it serves as a doctrinal bridge before the Kāverī-saṅgama merits are explained.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a scriptural assertion about karmic destinations.