Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

ते धन्यास्ते महात्मानस्तेषां जन्म सुजीवितम् । येषां गृहेषु भुञ्जन्ति शिवभक्तिरता नराः

Transliteration

te dhanyāste mahātmānasteṣāṃ janma sujīvitam | yeṣāṃ gṛheṣu bhuñjanti śivabhaktiratā narāḥ

Translation

അവർ ധന്യർ, അവർ മഹാത്മാക്കൾ; അവരുടെ ജന്മം സുസജീവിതം—ആരുടെ ഗൃഹങ്ങളിൽ ശിവഭക്തിയിൽ രതരായവർ അന്നം ഭുജിക്കുന്നുവോ।

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1), बहुवचन

• धन्याः: blessed
• धन्याः: Pratijna/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1), बहुवचन; विधेयविशेषण

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1), बहुवचन (पुनरुक्ति-बलार्थ)

• महात्मानः: great-souled ones
• महात्मानः: Pratijna/Predicate nominal (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महान् आत्मा यस्य)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6), बहुवचन

• जन्म: birth/life
• जन्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1/2), एकवचन

• सुजीवितम्: well-lived
• सुजीवितम्: Pratijna/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + जीवित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1/2), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सु + जीवितम्)

• येषाम्: of whom
• येषाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक

• गृहेषु: in (their) houses
• गृहेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7), बहुवचन

• भुञ्जन्ति: eat/partake
• भुञ्जन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• शिवभक्तिरताः: devoted to Śiva-bhakti
• शिवभक्तिरताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + रत (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (रत), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (शिवे भक्तौ रताः / शिवभक्तौ रताः)

• नराः: men/people
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1), बहुवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (Avanti frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humble yet auspicious household offers a meal to traveling Śiva devotees—some with vibhūti and rudrākṣa—seated in a row; the home glows with sanctity, with a small Śiva shrine in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serving and feeding Śiva’s devotees sanctifies a household and makes one’s life spiritually fruitful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse supports the Revā Khaṇḍa theme of merit in the Narmadā sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Hospitality/feeding (bhojana) offered to those devoted to Śiva-bhakti.