Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

त्रिवर्गसाधनं पुण्यं शतकोटिप्रविस्तरम् । स्मृत्वा जगाद च मुनीन्प्रति देवश्चतुर्मुखः

Transliteration

trivargasādhanaṃ puṇyaṃ śatakoṭipravistaram | smṛtvā jagāda ca munīnprati devaścaturmukhaḥ

Translation

ത്രിവർഗസാധനമായ, പരമ പുണ്യപ്രദമായ, ശതകോടി-വിസ്താരമുള്ള ആ പുരാണം സ്മരിച്ചു ചതുര്മുഖനായ ദേവൻ ബ്രഹ്മാവ് മുനിമാരോടു അതു പ്രസ്താവിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• त्रिवर्गसाधनम्: means to the three aims (dharma-artha-kāma)
• त्रिवर्गसाधनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि-वर्ग-साधन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: त्रिवर्गस्य साधनम्

• पुण्यम्: meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (त्रिवर्गसाधनम्/शतकोटिप्रविस्तरम्)

• शतकोटिप्रविस्तरम्: having an extent of a hundred crores
• शतकोटिप्रविस्तरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत-कोटि-प्रविस्तर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: शतकोटीनां प्रविस्तरः

• स्मृत्वा: having remembered
• स्मृत्वा: Kriyā (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकालिक)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/क्त्वान्त), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• जगाद: said
• जगाद: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक conjunction)

• मुनीन्: the sages
• मुनीन्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), बहुवचन

• प्रति: to/towards
• प्रति: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपसर्ग/पूर्वसर्ग-निपात; here: preposition ‘towards/to’)

• देवः: the god (Brahmā)
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चतुर्मुखः: four-faced
• चतुर्मुखः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्-मुख (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: यस्य चत्वारि मुखानि सः

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating; Brahmā is the described speaker within the narrative

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: munis (sages) as audience; also the addressed 'mune' in frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Four-faced Brahmā in a teaching posture, surrounded by seated sages in a forest hermitage; a colossal, radiant manuscript-symbolizing the Purāṇa—unfurls like a cosmic canopy, hinting at 'hundred crores' vastness.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Caturmukha)
• Munis
• Purāṇa
• Trivarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇa is celebrated as a sacred path that supports dharma, prosperity, and rightful desire, transmitted by Brahmā to the seers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific location is praised in this verse; it emphasizes the Purāṇa’s scope and salvific utility.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, listening/recitation of Purāṇa is upheld as meritorious, though no specific vrata or rite is detailed.