Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

तावद्वर्षसहस्राणि रुद्रलोके महीयते । शुक्लतीर्थे तु यद्दत्तं ग्रहणे चन्द्रसूर्ययोः

Transliteration

tāvadvarṣasahasrāṇi rudraloke mahīyate | śuklatīrthe tu yaddattaṃ grahaṇe candrasūryayoḥ

Translation

അത്രയേറെ സഹസ്രവർഷങ്ങൾ അവൻ രുദ്രലോകത്തിൽ മഹിമിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. കൂടാതെ ശുക്ലതീർത്ഥത്തിൽ ചന്ദ്രഗ്രഹണമോ സൂര്യഗ്രഹണമോ സമയത്ത് നൽകുന്ന ദാനം…

Word by Word

• तावत्: so long; to that extent
• तावत्: Visheshana (Adverbial qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक (indeclinable of extent: 'so much/so long')

• वर्ष-सहस्राणि: thousands of years
• वर्ष-सहस्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन (Plural)

• रुद्र-लोके: in Rudra’s world
• रुद्र-लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/Locative); एकवचन (Singular)

• महीयते: is honored; is glorified
• महीयते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार (Present); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन (Singular); कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग (passive sense: 'is honored/glorified')

• शुक्ल-तीर्थे: at the Śukla-tīrtha
• शुक्ल-तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/Locative); एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक निपात (particle: 'but/indeed')

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.); एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun: 'that which')

• दत्तम्: given (as a donation)
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त/PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; 'given (gift/donation)'

• ग्रहणे: during an eclipse
• ग्रहणे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रहण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/Locative); एकवचन

• चन्द्र-सूर्ययोः: of the moon and the sun
• चन्द्र-सूर्ययोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/Genitive); द्विवचन (Dual)

Speaker

Narrator (likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing a king (nṛpa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śukla Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājan (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the bright bank of Revā, devotees offer dāna during a dramatic eclipse; priests chant Rudra-mantras as the sun/moon is veiled, with Śiva’s presence implied above the tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Rudraloka
• Śuklatīrtha
• candra-grahaṇa
• sūrya-grahaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-dāna, especially at potent times like eclipses, is portrayed as yielding immense honor and long-lasting merit in divine realms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śukla Tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charitable giving) performed at Śukla Tīrtha specifically during lunar or solar eclipses.