Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 112

Devanagari script

मनसापि स्मरेद्यस्तु भक्त्या ह्यमरकण्टकम् । चान्द्रायणाधिकं पुण्यं स लभेन्नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

manasāpi smaredyastu bhaktyā hyamarakaṇṭakam | cāndrāyaṇādhikaṃ puṇyaṃ sa labhennātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Quiconque, avec dévotion, ne fût-ce qu’en son esprit, se souvient d’Amarakāṇṭaka, obtient un mérite supérieur à celui du vœu de Cāndrāyaṇa ; là-dessus, point de doute.

Word by Word

• मनसा: with the mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Singular)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: even/also)

• स्मरेत्: should remember
• स्मरेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष? (न) — तृतीयपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person, Singular) परस्मैपद

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Relative pronoun, Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• अमरकण्टकम्: Amarakantaka
• अमरकण्टकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमरकण्टक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• चान्द्रायण-अधिकम्: greater than the Cāndrāyaṇa (rite)
• चान्द्रायण-अधिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of पुण्यम्/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चान्द्रायण (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (चान्द्रायणात् अधिकम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun, Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), तृतीयपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (3rd person, Singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Scope/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject complement/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Amarakāṇṭaka

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee seated in meditation visualizes Amarakāṇṭaka’s sacred mountain and its Śiva shrine; the mountain appears as an inner vision with a luminous liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Amarakaṇṭaka
• Cāndrāyaṇa-vrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti transforms even mental remembrance into powerful merit when directed to a supremely sacred place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Amarakaṇṭaka, revered as a highly meritorious sacred mountain and tīrtha-region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The Cāndrāyaṇa vow is referenced as a benchmark; the verse teaches that remembrance of Amarakaṇṭaka surpasses it in merit.