Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

अर्थवादभवां शङ्कां विहाय भरतर्षभ । कृत्वा विचारं शास्त्रोक्तं परिकल्प्य यथोचितम्

Transliteration

arthavādabhavāṃ śaṅkāṃ vihāya bharatarṣabha | kṛtvā vicāraṃ śāstroktaṃ parikalpya yathocitam

Translation

Renonce au doute né de l’idée que ce n’est qu’éloge, ô taureau parmi les Bhāratas. Après avoir réfléchi selon les śāstras, adopte ce qui convient, comme il se doit.

Word by Word

• अर्थवादभवाम्: arising from arthavāda (eulogistic passage)
• अर्थवादभवाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्थवाद-भवा (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; accusative singular; अर्थवादात् भवा (arising from eulogy/arthavāda)

• शङ्काम्: doubt
• शङ्काम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्का (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; accusative singular

• विहाय: having abandoned
• विहाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि√हा (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यबन्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); ‘having abandoned’

• भरतर्षभ: O best of the Bharatas
• भरतर्षभ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत-ऋषभ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; vocative singular; ‘O bull among the Bharatas’

• कृत्वा: having made/done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive); ‘having done’

• विचारम्: consideration, inquiry
• विचारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; accusative singular

• शास्त्रोक्तम्: scripturally stated
• शास्त्रोक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शास्त्र-उक्त (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; accusative singular; शास्त्रे उक्तम् (stated in scripture)

• परिकल्प्य: having duly determined
• परिकल्प्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि√कॢप् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यबन्त-अव्यय (absolutive); ‘having arranged/considered’

• यथोचितम्: as appropriate
• यथोचितम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा-उचित (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (adverbial use); ‘as is proper’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-māhātmya (as a genre claim)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: bharatarṣabha (a Bharata prince/king addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher addressing a noble listener (bharatarṣabha) seated respectfully; a scroll of śāstra open between them; in the background, a faint vision of the tīrtha, indicating that right understanding leads to right pilgrimage.

Characters & Entities

• Bharatarṣabha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Treat tīrtha-māhātmya with informed faith—evaluate through śāstra, not cynicism that reduces it to empty praise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching concerns the credibility of tīrtha praises generally, within the Revā/Narmadā discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Adopt practices after śāstra-grounded reflection, setting aside skeptical doubt about māhātmya statements.