Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणां मार्गेऽयं देवसेवितः । गुरूणां च गुरुः शास्त्रं परमं सिद्धिकारणम्

Transliteration

dharmārthakāmamokṣāṇāṃ mārge'yaṃ devasevitaḥ | gurūṇāṃ ca guruḥ śāstraṃ paramaṃ siddhikāraṇam

Translation

Cet enseignement est la voie du dharma, de l’artha, du kāma et du mokṣa, honorée par les devas. Ce śāstra est le guru des gurus, la cause suprême de l’accomplissement spirituel (siddhi).

Word by Word

• धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणाम्: of dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa
• धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + अर्थ + काम + मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; चतुर्थी-समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (समास)

• मार्गे: in the path
• मार्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• देवसेवितः: served by the gods
• देवसेवितः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + सेव् (धातु) → सेवित (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) ‘सेवित’; देव-तत्पुरुषः

• गुरूणाम्: of teachers
• गुरूणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गुरुः: (the) guru
• गुरुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शास्त्रम्: the scripture/teaching
• शास्त्रम्: Pradhana-predicative (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• सिद्धिकारणम्: cause of success/accomplishment
• सिद्धिकारणम्: Pradhana-predicative (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सिद्धेः कारणम्)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; Āvantya Khaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) kṣetra-mahātmya (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene teaching scene: a revered speaker (ṛṣi or divine narrator) expounds the four puruṣārthas; gods listen in attendance, indicating ‘devasevita mārga’; a manuscript/śāstra is shown as luminous, symbolizing ‘guru of gurus’.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Artha
• Kāma
• Mokṣa
• Devas
• Śāstra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scripture-guided devotion integrates worldly aims and liberation; true success (siddhi) is rooted in dharmic teaching.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a single site explicitly; the verse elevates the śāstra (contextually, the Revā-māhātmya) as the guiding path.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it prescribes adherence to the śāstra as the authoritative guide.