Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

वर्धते तद्गुणं तावद्दिनानि दश पञ्च च । शुक्लतीर्थे शुचिर्भूत्वा यः करोति प्रदक्षिणम्

Transliteration

vardhate tadguṇaṃ tāvaddināni daśa pañca ca | śuklatīrthe śucirbhūtvā yaḥ karoti pradakṣiṇam

Translation

Son mérite croît dans la même mesure—pendant quinze jours. Et à Śukla Tīrtha, quiconque, devenu pur, accomplit la pradakṣiṇā (circumambulation)…

Word by Word

• वर्धते: increases; grows
• वर्धते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार (Present); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• तत्-गुणम्: that merit/quality
• तत्-गुणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• तावत्: so many; to that extent
• तावत्: Visheshana (Adverbial qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण-वाचक ('so many/so much')

• दिनानि: days
• दिनानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (indeclinable numeral used adjectivally)

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; अव्ययवत् प्रयोग

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

• शुक्ल-तीर्थे: at the Śukla-tīrtha
• शुक्ल-तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन

• शुचिः: pure
• शुचिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (pure)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) → भूत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया ('having become')

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• करोति: does; performs
• करोति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• प्रदक्षिणम्: circumambulation
• प्रदक्षिणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing a king (nṛpa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śukla Tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājan (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A purified pilgrim circumambulates the Śukla Tīrtha precinct—river ghāṭa and a small Śiva shrine—while priests mark the path; a calendar-like motif hints at fifteen days of multiplying merit.

Characters & Entities

• Śuklatīrtha
• pradakṣiṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity and devotional acts at a sacred site amplify spiritual merit, with special emphasis on time-bound increase.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śukla Tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Maintaining purity (śauca) and performing pradakṣiṇā (circumambulation) at Śukla Tīrtha; also a stated 15-day multiplication of merit in context.