Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

देवकार्यं कृतं तेन अग्नयो विधिवद्धुताः । वेदा अधीताश्चत्वारो येन रेवावगाहिता

Transliteration

devakāryaṃ kṛtaṃ tena agnayo vidhivaddhutāḥ | vedā adhītāścatvāro yena revāvagāhitā

Translation

レーヴァ（Revā）に沐浴した者は、諸神（デーヴァ）への務めを果たしたも同然であり、聖火も法にかなって護持されたかのようで、四ヴェーダも学び終えたかのようである。

Word by Word

• देवकार्यं: divine duty/rite
• देवकार्यं: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘work for the gods’

• कृतम्: done/performed
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; used predicatively with implied ‘अस्ति’

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• अग्नयः: fires (sacred fires)
• अग्नयः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• विधिवत्: according to rule
• विधिवत्: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• हुताः: offered (as oblations)
• हुताः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हुत (कृदन्त; √हु (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; predicative with implied ‘अस्ति’

• वेदाः: Vedas
• वेदाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• अधीताः: studied
• अधीताः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधीत (कृदन्त; √अधि-इ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘studied/recited’

• चत्वारः: four
• चत्वारः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; numeral adjective qualifying ‘वेदाः’

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana (Instrument/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• रेवावगाहिता: (the Reva) was immersed in / he bathed in Reva
• रेवावगाहिता: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रेवा (प्रातिपदिक) + अवगाहित (कृदन्त; √गाह् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicative; ‘Reva was bathed/entered’ (i.e., he immersed in Reva)

Speaker

Narrative voice within Revā Khaṇḍa; speaker not explicit in snippet

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim emerges from Revā with folded hands; behind him appear symbolic emblems: three sacred fires blazing, four Vedas as radiant manuscripts, and devas receiving offerings—indicating ‘as if accomplished’.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Deva-kārya
• Agni (sacred fires)
• Four Vedas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-bathing in Revā is portrayed as a concentrated form of dharma, conferring merits comparable to major Vedic and ritual obligations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā/Narmadā, whose bathing is said to bestow the fruits of deva-duties, fire-rites, and Vedic study.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Revā-avaghāna (bathing/immersion) is the explicit act; it is praised as equivalent in fruit to maintaining sacred fires and studying the four Vedas.