Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

न शब्दविद्यासमयो देवताभ्यर्चनानि च । यथा जातेन सततं वर्तितव्यमहर्निशम्

Transliteration

na śabdavidyāsamayo devatābhyarcanāni ca | yathā jātena satataṃ vartitavyamaharniśam

Translation

Tampoco hay ocasión para la disciplina del aprendizaje de la palabra sagrada, ni para el culto a las deidades en ese modo védico; más bien, debe uno conducirse continuamente, día y noche, conforme a la condición en que ha nacido.

Word by Word

• न: not/no
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• शब्दविद्यासमयः: the discipline/study of linguistic knowledge
• शब्दविद्यासमयः: Karta (Elliptic predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्दविद्या + समय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शब्दविद्यायाः समयः = grammar/philology study-time/discipline)

• देवताभ्यर्चनानि: worships of deities
• देवताभ्यर्चनानि: Karta (Elliptic predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता + अभ्यर्चन (प्रातिपदिक; अभि-√अर्च् ल्युट्/अन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवतानाम् अभ्यर्चनानि)

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

• यथा: as/according to
• यथा: Kriya-viseshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb: as/according as)

• जातेन: by one’s birth/status
• जातेन: Karana (Instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जात (प्रातिपदिक; √जन् क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; ‘by/with one who is born’ (i.e., by birth-condition)

• सततम्: constantly
• सततम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सततम् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (adverb: always/constantly)

• वर्तितव्यम्: should be conducted/one should behave
• वर्तितव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भावे प्रयोगः ‘it should be conducted/one should behave’

• अहर्निशम्: day and night
• अहर्निशम्: Kriya-viseshana (Time adverb/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहन् + निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (adverb: day and night)

Speaker

Unknown (Revā Khaṇḍa narrative voice; likely a Purāṇic teacher addressing a listener within the Revā-māhātmya frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (contextual)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs simple daily service—sweeping a ghat, offering a lamp, carrying water for pilgrims—while a learned priest performs Vedic rites separately; both acts occur harmoniously at the same tīrtha.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right conduct is portrayed as consistency in one’s ordained way of life, maintained continuously rather than sporadically.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; the broader Revā Khaṇḍa backdrop links the teaching to the sacred milieu of the Revā/Narmadā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No positive ritual is prescribed; the verse speaks about (non-)authorization of certain learning/worship modes and stresses continuous proper conduct.