Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

नापुत्रो नाधनो रोगी सप्तजन्मसु जायते । एकविंशतिं पितुः पक्षे मातुश्वैवेकविंशतिम्

Transliteration

nāputro nādhano rogī saptajanmasu jāyate | ekaviṃśatiṃ pituḥ pakṣe mātuśvaivekaviṃśatim

Translation

Durant sept naissances, il ne naît ni sans fils, ni pauvre, ni malade. Il délivre vingt et une générations du côté du père, et de même vingt et une du côté de la mère.

Word by Word

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

• अपुत्रः: sonless (man)
• अपुत्रः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative), एकवचन (singular)

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

• अधनः: poor (man)
• अधनः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• रोगी: sick (man)
• रोगी: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), अव्ययवत् प्रयोग; समासपूर्वपद

• जन्मसु: in (the) births
• जन्मसु: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण: in births)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (locative), बहुवचन (plural)

• जायते: is born
• जायते: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• एकविंशतिम्: twenty-one
• एकविंशतिम्: Karma (Object: number/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकविंशति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative), एकवचन (singular); द्विगु-समास: एक + विंशति (21)

• पितुः: of the father
• पितुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (genitive), एकवचन (singular)

• पक्षे: on the side (lineage)
• पक्षे: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/side/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (locative), एकवचन (singular)

• मातुः: of the mother
• मातुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (genitive), एकवचन (singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• एकविंशतिम्: twenty-one
• एकविंशतिम्: Karma (Object: number/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकविंशति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative), एकवचन (singular); द्विगु-समास

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlabheda

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: the pilgrim stands before Śiva’s shrine while behind him appear two ancestral ‘trees’—paternal and maternal—each with 21 luminous ancestor figures ascending, signifying uplift; the pilgrim is crowned by blessings of health, wealth, and children.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛ-lineage (father’s side)
• Mātṛ-lineage (mother’s side)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-sevā is framed as both worldly welfare and transgenerational upliftment of one’s lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śūlabheda-tīrtha in the Revā Khaṇḍa, praised for powerful lineage-benefits.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse states results (phalaśruti); the implied practice is tīrtha-bathing/rites at Śūlabheda described in the surrounding verses.