Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तेन देवान्विधानोक्तान्स्थापयन्ति नरा भुवि । अक्षयं चाव्ययं यस्मात्कालं भुञ्जन्ति मानवाः

Transliteration

tena devānvidhānoktānsthāpayanti narā bhuvi | akṣayaṃ cāvyayaṃ yasmātkālaṃ bhuñjanti mānavāḥ

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് ഭൂമിയിൽ മനുഷ്യർ ശാസ്ത്രവിധിപ്രകാരം ദേവന്മാരെ പ്രതിഷ്ഠിക്കുന്നു; കാരണം അതിലൂടെ അവർ അക്ഷയവും അവ്യയവും ആയ പുണ്യഫലം അനുഭവിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• तेन: therefore/by that
• तेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे साधारण-प्रयोगः; तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Instrumental: 'by that/therefore')

• देवान्: the gods/deities
• देवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Accusative plural)

• विधानोक्तान्: as prescribed by rule
• विधानोक्तान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (विधाने उक्ताः); पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; देवान् इति विशेषणम्

• स्थापयन्ति: install/establish
• स्थापयन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + णिच् → स्थापयति
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्

• नराः: men/people
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Nominative plural)

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: 'earth')
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Locative singular)

• अक्षयम्: imperishable
• अक्षयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कालम् इति विशेषणम्

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

• अव्ययम्: unchanging
• अव्ययम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-व्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कालम् इति विशेषणम्

• यस्मात्: because of which
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे; पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Ablative: 'from which/because of which')

• कालम्: time
• कालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Accusative singular)

• भुञ्जन्ति: enjoy/experience
• भुञ्जन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्

• मानवाः: humans
• मानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Nominative plural)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced for Āvantya Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nara/nṛpa (audience addressed in the passage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formal consecration with priests consulting śāstra, measuring the altar, performing homa and prāṇa-pratiṣṭhā; a symbolic ‘akṣaya’ stream of light representing imperishable merit.

Characters & Entities

• Deva
• Vidhi (injunction)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual acts done in accordance with prescribed injunctions generate enduring, inexhaustible merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; the verse generalizes the Revā Khaṇḍa ethos of dharma performed properly within sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Installing deities (sthāpana/pratiṣṭhā) according to vidhāna (scriptural procedure).