Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

वन्दनादपि राजेन्द्र दौर्भाग्यं नाशमाप्नुयात् । अपुत्रो लभते पुत्रमधनो धनमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

vandanādapi rājendra daurbhāgyaṃ nāśamāpnuyāt | aputro labhate putramadhano dhanamuttamam

Translation

ഹേ രാജേന്ദ്രാ, വന്ദനം മാത്രത്താലും ദൗർഭാഗ്യം നശിക്കുന്നു. പുത്രനില്ലാത്തവന് പുത്രൻ ലഭിക്കുന്നു; ദരിദ്രന് ഉത്തമധനം ലഭിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• वन्दनात्: from (the act of) salutation
• वन्दनात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थक निपात (even)

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (‘राज्ञाम् इन्द्रः’)

• दौर्भाग्यम्: misfortune
• दौर्भाग्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर् + भाग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; उपसर्गपूर्वक-तत्पुरुष (‘दुष्टं भाग्यम्’)

• नाशम्: destruction, end
• नाशम्: Gati/Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• आप्नुयात्: would attain, would reach
• आप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अपुत्रः: a sonless man
• अपुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वपद (privative)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पुत्रम्: a son
• पुत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अधनः: a poor man
• अधनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वपद

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent, best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of धनम्)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (continued narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kurkurī-tīrtha (Ḍhauṇḍheśa-kṣetrapāla)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (rājendra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim bows at the feet of Ḍhauṇḍheśa; behind, symbolic imagery shows misfortune dissolving (dark cloud lifting) and blessings appearing (child in arms, coins, granary, cow).

Characters & Entities

• Ḍhauṇḍheśa (implied)
• Kurkurī-tīrtha (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even simple acts of reverence at a holy site—like vandana—are celebrated as powerful when done with faith.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kurkurī-tīrtha and its worship culture, including reverence to the resident guardian deity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vandana (salutation/obeisance) as a minimal yet efficacious devotional act.