Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । केन कर्मविपाकेन इह जात्यन्तरं व्रजेत् । दानधर्मफलेनैव केन स्वर्गं च गच्छति

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kena karmavipākena iha jātyantaraṃ vrajet | dānadharmaphalenaiva kena svargaṃ ca gacchati

Translation

Les ṛṣi dirent : «Par quelle maturation des actes passe-t-on ici à une autre naissance ? Et par quel fruit de la charité et du dharma atteint-on le ciel ?»

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; ‘said’

• केन: by what
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक—‘by what/with what’

• कर्मविपाकेन: by the fruition of karma
• कर्मविपाकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म + विपाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष—‘कर्मणः विपाकः’ (ripening/result of karma)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb: here/in this world)

• जात्यन्तरम्: another birth
• जात्यन्तरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाति + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष—‘जात्याः अन्तरम्’ (another birth/species)

• व्रजेत्: would go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘would go/should go’

• दानधर्मफलेन: by the fruit of charity and dharma
• दानधर्मफलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान + धर्म + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास—‘दानस्य धर्मस्य च फलम्’ (fruit of charity and dharma)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (particle: indeed/only)

• केन: by what
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• स्वर्गम्: heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction: and)

• गच्छति: goes
• गच्छति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘goes’

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages formally pose questions to Māṇḍavya about karma’s ripening, rebirth, and the specific merits of charity and dharma leading to heaven.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Māṇḍavya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human destiny is shaped by karmic maturation; charity and dharma are presented as direct causes for higher worlds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a doctrinal question within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charitable giving) and dharma (righteous conduct) are highlighted as meritorious causes leading to svarga.