Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

सर्वः कोऽप्यतिहीनोऽपि स्वपूज्यस्यार्थसाधकः । स्वपूज्यतीर्थेष्वावासं प्रोक्तवान्नारदः कथम्

Transliteration

sarvaḥ ko'pyatihīno'pi svapūjyasyārthasādhakaḥ | svapūjyatīrtheṣvāvāsaṃ proktavānnāradaḥ katham

Translation

Anyone—even one greatly lacking in power—can accomplish the purpose of the deity he worships. How, then, did Nārada tell you to dwell in the very tīrthas sacred to your own worshipful Lord?

Word by Word

• सर्वः: all/every (one)
• सर्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

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

• अतिहीनः: very deficient/lowly
• अतिहीनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति-हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘अति’ उपसर्गपूर्वक-समास

• अपि: even though
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); concessive ‘even if/though’

• स्वपूज्यस्य: of one’s own venerable (deity/person)
• स्वपूज्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-पूज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘स्वस्य पूज्यः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• अर्थसाधकः: accomplisher of the purpose
• अर्थसाधकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ-साधक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘अर्थं साधयति’ इति कर्म-तत्पुरुष

• स्वपूज्यतीर्थेषु: in the sacred places of one’s own venerable (deity)
• स्वपूज्यतीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-पूज्य-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; ‘स्वस्य पूज्यं तीर्थम्’ इति बहुपद-तत्पुरुष

• आवासम्: dwelling/residence
• आवासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रोक्तवान्: said/declared
• प्रोक्तवान्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु) + क्तवत् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कथम्: how/why
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

Speaker

Pārtha (Arjuna/Dhanaṃjaya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reflective interlocutor invokes Nārada’s counsel about dwelling at one’s own deity’s tīrthas; the setting suggests a sacred precinct with unseen guardians and a pilgrim’s hesitation turning into wonder.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Association with one’s iṣṭa-devatā through sacred places empowers even the weak; tīrthas magnify devotion into efficacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks generally of svapūjya-tīrthas (tīrthas of one’s chosen deity) without naming a particular location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Āvāsa (staying/dwelling) at sacred tīrthas is implied as a spiritually potent practice.