Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

जन्मान्तरशतैस्तेषां ज्ञानिनां देवयाजिनाम् । देवत्रये भवेद्भक्तिः क्षयात्पापस्य कर्मणः

Transliteration

janmāntaraśataisteṣāṃ jñānināṃ devayājinām | devatraye bhavedbhaktiḥ kṣayātpāpasya karmaṇaḥ

Translation

神々を供養する賢者たちには、幾百の生を経て、罪の業が尽きるとき、三神の御座へ向かう信愛が生じる。

Word by Word

• जन्मान्तरशतैः: by hundreds of other births
• जन्मान्तरशतैः: Kāla/Parimāṇa (Temporal measure/परिमाण-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janma-antara-śata (प्रातिपदिक: जन्म + अन्तर + शत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (जन्मान्तराणां शतानि)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन

• ज्ञानिनाम्: of the knowers (wise)
• ज्ञानिनाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñānin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन

• देवयाजिनाम्: of the worshippers of the gods
• देवयाजिनाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive apposition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva-yājin (प्रातिपदिक: देव + याजिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (देवान् यजते इति)

• देवत्रये: in the triad of gods
• देवत्रये: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva-traya (प्रातिपदिक: देव + त्रय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रयः देवाः)

• भवेत्: may arise/become
• भवेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• भक्तिः: devotion
• भक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन

• क्षयात्: from the destruction
• क्षयात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), एकवचन

• पापस्य: of sin
• पापस्य: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन

• कर्मणः: of action/deed
• कर्मणः: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual attribution within the passage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence-like tableau: across many lifetimes, a seeker performs yajña and worship; as dark stains (pāpa) fade, a bright flame of devotion rises toward a triad of divine forms, with Śiva as the culminating refuge implied by the surrounding narrative.

Characters & Entities

• Devatraya (Triad of Deities)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion matures when karmic impurities are worn away; spiritual progress may unfold across many lifetimes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the verse supports the broader Purāṇic framework in which tīrtha and worship aid karma-kṣaya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Deva-yajana (worship/sacrificial devotion to the gods) is referenced as a characteristic practice of the aspirants described.