Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

अपठस्यापि मूर्खस्य सर्वावस्थां गतस्य च । उत्तरादुत्तरं शक्रो दातुं न तु भृगूत्तम

Transliteration

apaṭhasyāpi mūrkhasya sarvāvasthāṃ gatasya ca | uttarāduttaraṃ śakro dātuṃ na tu bhṛgūttama

Translation

അപഠിതനും മൂഢനും എല്ലാ അവസ്ഥകളിലും പതിച്ചവനും—even ഇന്ദ്രനും തുടർച്ചയായി കൂടുതൽ ഉന്നതമായ വരങ്ങൾ നൽകാൻ കഴിയില്ല; എന്നാൽ ഹേ ഭൃഗുശ്രേഷ്ഠാ, നീ അതിലും പരമായ വരം നൽകാൻ ശേഷിയുള്ളവൻ.

Word by Word

• अपठस्य: of an unlearned person
• अपठस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थे ‘even/also’

• मूर्खस्य: of a fool
• मूर्खस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• सर्व: all
• सर्व: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘अवस्था’ इति विशेषण

• अवस्थाम्: state/condition
• अवस्थाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवस्था (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• गतस्य: who has gone/reached
• गतस्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) + गत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; ‘मूर्खस्य’ इति विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• उत्तरात्: from a higher (thing)
• उत्तरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; ‘उत्तरम्’ इत्यस्य अपादान-भावे

• उत्तरम्: to something higher; increasingly
• उत्तरम्: Karma/Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषणवत्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative)

• शक्रः: Indra (Śakra)
• शक्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• दातुम्: to give
• दातुम्: Prayojana/Infinitive complement (तुमर्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (infinitive), ‘to give’

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• तु: but
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधबोधक निपात (but/indeed)

• भृगूत्तम: O best of the Bhṛgus
• भृगूत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृगु + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘भृगूणाम् उत्तमः’)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience (typically sages/śaunaka-style assembly in Purāṇic framing)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A divine speaker (Śiva or a great deity) extols Bhṛgu as ‘best of Bhṛgus,’ contrasting Indra’s limited boon-giving with the higher salvific grant available through the sage/kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Bhṛgu (Bhṛgūttama)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine uplift at a sacred center can surpass worldly or even heavenly power; grace can reach beyond learning or social condition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Bhṛgu-associated sacred region (Bhṛgukṣetra) being praised in Revā Khaṇḍa 182.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse contrasts capacities for granting higher spiritual outcomes.