Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तीर्थदानोपवासानां यज्ञैर्देवद्विजार्चनैः । अवाप्तिर्जायते पुंसां श्रद्धया परया नृप

Transliteration

tīrthadānopavāsānāṃ yajñairdevadvijārcanaiḥ | avāptirjāyate puṃsāṃ śraddhayā parayā nṛpa

Translation

ഹേ രാജാവേ! തീർത്ഥം, ദാനം, ഉപവാസം, യജ്ഞം, ദേവ-ദ്വിജാരാധന—ഇവയുടെ യഥാർത്ഥ ഫലം മനുഷ്യർക്കു പരമശ്രദ്ധയാൽ മാത്രമേ ലഭിക്കൂ।

Word by Word

• तीर्थदानोपवासानाम्: of pilgrimages, gifts, and fasts
• तीर्थदानोपवासानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ + दान + उपवास (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; genitive plural; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (तीर्थं च दानं च उपवासः च)

• यज्ञैः: by sacrifices
• यज्ञैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; instrumental plural

• देवद्विजार्चनैः: by worship of gods and twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• देवद्विजार्चनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + द्विज + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; instrumental plural; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (देवानां च द्विजानां च अर्चनानि)

• अवाप्तिः: attainment, obtaining (of merit/result)
• अवाप्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवाप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular

• जायते: arises, is produced
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; present 3rd sg

• पुंसाम्: of men, for people
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस्/पुम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; genitive plural

• श्रद्धया: by faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; instrumental singular

• परया: supreme, highest
• परया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; adjective agreeing with श्रद्धया

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; vocative singular

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau showing five acts arranged around a central glowing ‘Śraddhā’ figure: pilgrims bathing at a ghāṭa, a donor giving alms, a fasting ascetic, a yajña fire with offerings, and worship of deity and brāhmaṇa—threads of light connect them to śraddhā.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Nṛpa (King)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rituals bear their intended fruit when performed with sincere and elevated śraddhā; faith is the inner power of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; the Revā Khaṇḍa context broadly supports tīrtha-yātrā in the Narmadā sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pilgrimage, charity, fasting, yajña, and worship of devas and brāhmaṇas are listed, with the instruction that they be grounded in supreme faith.