Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

दशभिर्जन्मभिर्लब्धं शतेन तु पुराकृतम् । त्रियुगं तु सहस्रेण गायत्री हन्ति किल्बिषम्

Transliteration

daśabhirjanmabhirlabdhaṃ śatena tu purākṛtam | triyugaṃ tu sahasreṇa gāyatrī hanti kilbiṣam

Translation

Les fautes amassées en dix naissances, celles commises jadis sur cent mesures de temps, et même celles s’étendant sur trois yuga — Gāyatrī les anéantit, par une répétition suffisante, fût-ce par milliers.

Word by Word

• दशभिः: by ten
• दशभिः: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक-प्रयोगे, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• जन्मभिः: births
• जन्मभिः: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• लब्धम्: obtained/accumulated
• लब्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लभ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि (past passive participle)

• शतेन: by a hundred
• शतेन: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोध

• पुराकृतम्: done previously (in the past)
• पुराकृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय) + कृत (कृदन्त; कृ धातु + क्त)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘पूर्वं कृतम्’

• त्रियुगम्: (sins of) three yugas
• त्रियुगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (त्रीणि युगानि)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• सहस्रेण: by a thousand
• सहस्रेण: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental (by a thousand [recitations])

• गायत्री: Gāyatrī
• गायत्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हन्ति: destroys
• हन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• किल्बिषम्: sin/impurity
• किल्बिषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किल्बिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-khaṇḍa (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visual allegory: a stream of dark smoke-like ‘sins’ labeled by births and yugas dissolving into a radiant mantra-light emanating from the meditator; time-wheels (yuga-cakra) fading in the glow of Gāyatrī.

Characters & Entities

• Gāyatrī
• Yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sustained mantra-japa—especially Gāyatrī—is portrayed as capable of burning deep karmic residue across vast time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is a general glorification (mahimā) of Gāyatrī within the Revā Khaṇḍa context rather than a named site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It indicates the efficacy of large-count Gāyatrī-japa (e.g., a thousand recitations) for expiating sins.