Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचस्तस्य वणिक्पुत्रस्य भारत । असंक्षयं धनं दत्त्वा स्थितस्तत्र महेश्वरः

Transliteration

etacchrutvā vacastasya vaṇikputrasya bhārata | asaṃkṣayaṃ dhanaṃ dattvā sthitastatra maheśvaraḥ

Translation

Ô Bhārata, entendant ces paroles du fils du marchand, Maheśvara lui donna une richesse inépuisable et demeura en ce lieu.

Word by Word

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śru (धातु) + ktvā (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having heard)

• vacaḥ: words
• vacaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘वचः’ = words/speech

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन

• vaṇikputrasya: of the merchant’s son
• vaṇikputrasya: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaṇik (प्रातिपदिक) + putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; वणिकः पुत्रः (son of the merchant)

• bhārata: O Bhārata
• bhārata: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhārata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन

• asaṃkṣayam: inexhaustible
• asaṃkṣayam: Karma (Object-modifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- + saṃkṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक ‘असंक्षयम्’ = inexhaustible

• dhanam: wealth
• dhanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• dattvā: having given
• dattvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dā (धातु) + ktvā (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having given)

• sthitaḥ: remained, stood
• sthitaḥ: Kriya (State/अवस्था-क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु) + ta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘स्थितः’ = stood/remained

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• maheśvaraḥ: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• maheśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘महेश्वरः’

Speaker

Narrator (addressing ‘Bhārata’)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devamārga-liṅga (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (addressed here) within the narrative frame; king addressed in adjacent verses

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva, pleased, grants an inexhaustible treasure to the merchant’s son; the deity’s presence anchors the place as a lasting shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• vaṇikputra (merchant’s son)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When humility replaces greed, divine grace can transform worldly lack into blessed sufficiency—without spiritual loss.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Devamārga, sanctified by Maheśvara’s continued presence and the ensuing fame of Balākeśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Charity is implied through the Lord’s giving (dāna); the broader passage points toward worship at the established liṅga.