Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

गायत्रीजाप्यमात्रस्तु वेदत्रयफलं लभेत् । कुलकोटिशतं साग्रं लभते तु शिवार्चनात्

Transliteration

gāyatrījāpyamātrastu vedatrayaphalaṃ labhet | kulakoṭiśataṃ sāgraṃ labhate tu śivārcanāt

Translation

ഗായത്രി ജപം മാത്രം ചെയ്താൽ ത്രിവേദഫലം ലഭിക്കുന്നു; ശിവാർചനയാൽ സ്വന്തം കുലത്തിലെ നൂറുകോടി പേര്ക്കും പൂർണ്ണ മംഗളവും മോക്ഷോപകാരവും ലഭിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• गायत्रीजाप्यमात्रः: one who does only Gāyatrī-japa
• गायत्रीजाप्यमात्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री + जाप्य + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘केवल-गायत्री-जप’ इत्यर्थे; nominative singular masculine

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• वेदत्रयफलम्: the fruit of the three Vedas
• वेदत्रयफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + त्रय + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; accusative singular neuter

• लभेत्: may obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘may obtain/should obtain’

• कुलकोटिशतम्: a hundred crores of families
• कुलकोटिशतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल + कोटि + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; accusative singular neuter (measure/number)

• साग्रम्: with an excess; more than that
• साग्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘अधिकम्’ इत्यर्थे; accusative singular neuter

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘obtains’

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• शिवार्चनात्: from (the act of) worship of Śiva
• शिवार्चनात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक; √अर्च् (धातु) से)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/हेतु), एकवचन; ablative singular neuter—‘कारणात्/हेतोः’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee seated in meditation performs Gāyatrī-japa at dawn; then offers bilva leaves and water to a Śiva-liṅga. Behind, a faint ancestral line is suggested as luminous figures receiving blessings.

Characters & Entities

• Gāyatrī
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Simple, sincere practice—Gāyatrī japa and Śiva worship—can yield vast Vedic merit and uplift one’s lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā-tīrtha milieu celebrated in Revākhaṇḍa, Āvantya Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gāyatrī japa and Śiva-arcana (worship) are prescribed as highly meritorious acts.