Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तत्र स्नानं च दानं च देवखाते कृतं नृप । अक्षयं तद्भवेत्सर्वमित्येवं शङ्करोऽब्रवीत्

Transliteration

tatra snānaṃ ca dānaṃ ca devakhāte kṛtaṃ nṛpa | akṣayaṃ tadbhavetsarvamityevaṃ śaṅkaro'bravīt

Translation

ഹേ രാജാവേ! ദേവഖാതത്തിൽ ചെയ്ത സ്നാനവും ദാനവും സർവ്വഫലപ്രദമായി അക്ഷയമാകുന്നു—ഇങ്ങനെ ശങ്കരൻ (ശിവൻ) അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb: ‘there’)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom./Acc. sg.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction ‘and’)

• दानम्: gift, charity
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom./Acc. sg.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction ‘and’)

• देवखाते: in the Devakhāta (the gods’ excavation/pool)
• देवखाते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवखात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (Loc. sg.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: देवानां खातम् = देवखातम् (‘dug by gods’)

• कृतम्: performed/done
• कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + कृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृ धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (PPP: ‘done/performed’)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचन (Voc. sg.)

• अक्षयम्: imperishable, inexhaustible
• अक्षयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom./Acc. sg.); विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• तत्: that (act/result)
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• सर्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.); ‘तत्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative)

• एवम्: in this manner
• एवम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (manner adverb ‘in this way’)

• शङ्करः: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शङ्करः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (quoting Śaṅkara/Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devakhāta

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Śaṅkara) is envisioned declaring the imperishable fruit of bathing and charity at Devakhāta to a royal listener; a sacred water-basin with pilgrims offering gifts nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Devakhāta
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity and purification done in a sanctified place become ‘akṣaya’—their merit endures and does not perish.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Devakhāta, associated with Piṅgaleśvara/Piṅgalāvarta.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) and dāna (charity) at Devakhāta.