Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

शिवस्वरूपस्य ततः कृतमात्राक्षरं भवेत् । तिर्यञ्चः पशवश्चैव वृक्षा गुल्मलतादयः

Transliteration

śivasvarūpasya tataḥ kṛtamātrākṣaraṃ bhavet | tiryañcaḥ paśavaścaiva vṛkṣā gulmalatādayaḥ

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് അവിടെ പ്രണവത്തിന്റെ ഒരു അക്ഷരം മാത്രം ജപിച്ചാലും അത് ശിവസ്വരൂപത്തോടുള്ള ഏകത്വം നൽകുന്നു. അവിടെ പക്ഷികളും മൃഗങ്ങളും, വൃക്ഷങ്ങൾ, കുറ്റിച്ചെടികൾ, വള്ളികൾ മുതലായവയും ഉന്നതിയിലേക്കുയരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• शिवस्वरूपस्य: of Śiva’s true form
• शिवस्वरूपस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य स्वरूपम्)

• ततः: therefore; then
• ततः: Hetu/Sequence (Reason/Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; तस्मात्/ततः इति हेत्वर्थ/क्रमार्थ (therefore/then/from that)

• कृतमात्राक्षरम्: a syllable consisting only of a mātrā (measure)
• कृतमात्राक्षरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (√कृ + क्त) + मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कृता मात्रा यस्य अक्षरस्य/अक्षरं यत् मात्रया कृतम्)

• भवेत्: would be/become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तिर्यञ्चः: animals (lower creatures)
• तिर्यञ्चः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिर्यञ्च् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• पशवः: beasts
• पशवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः

• एव: indeed; also
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधारणार्थक-निपातः (emphasis)

• वृक्षाः: trees
• वृक्षाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• गुल्मलतादयः: shrubs, creepers, and the like
• गुल्मलतादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुल्म (प्रातिपदिक) + लता (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (गुल्माश्च लताश्च) + 'आदि' (etc.)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing narration to Yudhiṣṭhira)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Amareśvara (Śiva-svarūpa/Praṇava field)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tranquil forested riverbank around Amareśvara: birds perched, deer nearby, creepers and trees subtly glowing; a pilgrim utters a single Oṃ, shown as a luminous syllable merging into the Śiva-liṅga’s aura, spreading light to animals and plants.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Praṇava (Oṃ)
• Tiryañc (creatures)
• Vṛkṣa (trees)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

At an empowered tīrtha, even minimal spiritual practice (a single syllable/japa) connects one to Śiva’s essence, and the sanctity extends compassionately to all beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Revā-region tīrtha linked with Viśalyā, whose sanctity benefits all forms of life.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, japa/utterance of the Praṇava (Oṃ) is praised—its ‘mere performance’ is said to yield profound spiritual effect at that place.