Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

यथा यथा भजेन्मर्त्यो यद्यदिच्छति तीर्थगः । तत्तदाप्नोति नियतं श्रद्धयाश्रद्धयापि च

Transliteration

yathā yathā bhajenmartyo yadyadicchati tīrthagaḥ | tattadāpnoti niyataṃ śraddhayāśraddhayāpi ca

Translation

人が聖地（ティールタ）においていかなる仕方で礼拝し、そこで何を願おうとも――信があっても、たとえ信がなくとも、必ずその果報を得る。

Word by Word

• यथा: as, in whatever manner
• यथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्ध/उपमानार्थक-क्रियाविशेषण (correlative adverb: 'as/according as')

• यथा: as, again and again
• यथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

• भजेत्: may worship/serve
• भजेत्: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative/optative-like injunctive usage), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• मर्त्यः: a mortal man
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: martya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• यत्: whatever (thing)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (correlative)

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; पुनरुक्ति (emphasis)

• इच्छति: desires
• इच्छति: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• तीर्थगः: one who is at/going to a pilgrimage place
• तीर्थगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha + ga (प्रातिपदिक; ग-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थे गच्छति/स्थितः)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (correlative: 'that')

• तत्: that very (thing)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; पुनरुक्ति (emphasis)

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• नियतं: certainly
• नियतं: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: niyata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः (adverbial accusative: 'certainly/inevitably')

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śraddhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्तिः (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचनम्

• अश्रद्धया: with lack of faith
• अश्रद्धया: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-śraddhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक (particle: 'even/also')

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā tīrtha (general statement)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a river-ghāṭa offers water and flowers, making a saṅkalpa; the river appears as a luminous goddess while unseen devas witness the vow’s immediate fruition.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha (sacred place)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is intrinsically potent; it yields fruits corresponding to one’s mode of worship and desire, even when faith is weak.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tīrtha in general within the Revā context—implicitly the Revā tīrtha network along Narmadā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhajana (worship/adoration) at the tīrtha; the verse frames a general rule of tīrtha-phala rather than a single rite.