Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

कृमिकीटपतङ्गाश्च तस्मिंस्तीर्थे तु ये मृताः । स्वर्गं प्रयान्ति ते सर्वे दिव्यरूपधरा नृप

Transliteration

kṛmikīṭapataṅgāśca tasmiṃstīrthe tu ye mṛtāḥ | svargaṃ prayānti te sarve divyarūpadharā nṛpa

Translation

王よ、その聖なるティールタで死ぬなら、虫や昆虫や飛ぶ小さき生きものさえも皆、天界へ赴き、光り輝く神妙なる姿を得る。

Word by Word

• कृमि-कीट-पतङ्गाः: worms, insects, and flying insects
• कृमि-कीट-पतङ्गाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृमि (प्रातिपदिक) + कीट (प्रातिपदिक) + पतङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; समाहार/समुच्चयार्थ द्वन्द्व

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

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम—‘ये (कृमिकीटपतङ्गाः)’

• मृताः: dead; having died
• मृताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त; √मृ धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• स्वर्गम्: to heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; गत्यर्थकक्रियायाः कर्म/गन्तव्य

• प्रयान्ति: go forth; attain
• प्रयान्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+√या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; ‘ते’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• दिव्य-रूप-धराः: bearing divine forms
• दिव्य-रूप-धराः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (कृदन्त; √धृ धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; ‘ते सर्वे’ इत्यस्य विशेषण; ‘दिव्यं रूपं धरन्ति’

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

Speaker

Unknown (context suggests a Purāṇic narrator addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rudraghaṭa (Revā-tīrtha)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous river-ford where tiny creatures (worms, insects, moths) are shown transforming into radiant celestial forms ascending toward svarga, while the king listens in wonder.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Svarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha’s power is so great that even the smallest beings attain exalted states through contact with it.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A revered tīrtha in the Revā-khaṇḍa (on/near the Revā–Narmadā), whose exact name is implied by the surrounding passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed here; the verse praises the salvific greatness of death occurring within the tīrtha’s sphere.