Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

कोटिवर्षं तु वर्षाणां क्रीडित्वा शिवमन्दिरे । वेदवेदाङ्गविद्विप्रो जायते विमले कुले

Transliteration

koṭivarṣaṃ tu varṣāṇāṃ krīḍitvā śivamandire | vedavedāṅgavidvipro jāyate vimale kule

Translation

ശിവമന്ദിരത്തിൽ പത്ത് കോടി വർഷങ്ങൾ ക്രീഡിച്ചു കഴിഞ്ഞ്, പിന്നെ അവൻ വിമലമായ കുലത്തിൽ വേദവും വേദാംഗങ്ങളും അറിയുന്ന ബ്രാഹ്മണനായി ജനിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• koṭi-varṣam: for a crore of years
• koṭi-varṣam: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: koṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कालपरिमाणवाचक (duration)

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयबोधक अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• varṣāṇām: of years
• varṣāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘koṭivarṣam’ इत्यस्य सम्बन्धः

• krīḍitvā: having sported/dwelt in joy
• krīḍitvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √krīḍ (धातु; क्रीड् विहारे)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• śiva-mandire: in Śiva’s temple
• śiva-mandire: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + mandira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• veda-vedāṅga-vit-vipraḥ: a brāhmaṇa who knows the Vedas and Vedāṅgas
• veda-vedāṅga-vit-vipraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक) + vedāṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + vit (कृदन्त; √vid ज्ञाने, ‘knower’) + vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘vit’ इति कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिकं (ज्ञाता)

• jāyate: is born
• jāyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jan (धातु; जन् प्रादुर्भावे/जन्मनि)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• vimale: pure
• vimale: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vimala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘kule’)

• kule: in a family/lineage
• kule: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (to Yudhiṣṭhira)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā–Sāgara-saṅgama (Śiva-mandira sambandha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant soul enjoys divine ‘sport’ within a resplendent Śiva temple for vast ages; then a scene shift to a newborn in a pure brāhmaṇa household, later shown studying Vedas with a guru.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Loṭaṇeśvara (implied)
• Revā (Narmadā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion connected to Śiva’s sacred space is said to refine destiny—granting exalted states and a rebirth conducive to dharma and scriptural wisdom.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Loṭaṇeśvara-associated Revā tīrtha, whose proximity to a Śiva-mandira is being praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a specific rite; the verse emphasizes the fruit (phala) of association with Śiva’s temple at the tīrtha.