Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

वेदजाप्यैः पवित्रैश्च क्षपयित्वा च शर्वरीम् । यत्पुण्यं लभते मर्त्यो ह्याजमीढ शृणुष्व तत्

Transliteration

vedajāpyaiḥ pavitraiśca kṣapayitvā ca śarvarīm | yatpuṇyaṃ labhate martyo hyājamīḍha śṛṇuṣva tat

Translation

ഹേ ആജമീഢാ! വൈദികമന്ത്രജപവും മറ്റ് പവിത്ര ജപങ്ങളും ചെയ്ത് രാത്രി കഴിച്ചാൽ മനുഷ്യൻ നേടുന്ന പുണ്യം കേൾക്കുക—അത് ഞാൻ പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• वेदजाप्यैः: by Vedic recitations
• वेदजाप्यैः: Karaṇa (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + जाप्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• पवित्रैः: pure, sanctifying
• पवित्रैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (वेदजाप्यैः)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• क्षपयित्वा: having passed (the time)
• क्षपयित्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षपय्/क्षप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having spent/caused to pass)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• शर्वरीम्: the night
• शर्वरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Correlative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/Result)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मर्त्यः: a mortal
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Emphasis (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: emphasis/causal)

• आजमीढ: O Ājamīḍha
• आजमीढ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आजमीढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; संबोधन

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriyā (Imperative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तत्: that (merit/that matter)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual, continuing discourse in Revā Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-taṭa (within Pañcavarāha/Ekādaśī vigil context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ājamīḍha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-narrator addresses King Ājamīḍha; in the background devotees sit through the night chanting Vedic hymns and mantras, maintaining ritual purity.

Characters & Entities

• Ājamīḍha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Night-long discipline in sacred recitation and purification is presented as a powerful source of merit (puṇya).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse prepares for the Revā-context; the broader passage glorifies the Revā (Narmadā) region and its sacred observances.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Spending the night engaged in Vedic japa and other purifying recitations/rites.