Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

एतद्धर्म्यमुपाख्यानं सर्वशास्त्रेष्वनुत्तमम् । देशे वा मण्डले वापि नगरे ग्राममध्यतः

Transliteration

etaddharmyamupākhyānaṃ sarvaśāstreṣvanuttamam | deśe vā maṇḍale vāpi nagare grāmamadhyataḥ

Translation

ഈ ധർമ്മ്യ ഉപാഖ്യാനം സർവ്വശാസ്ത്രങ്ങളിലും അനുത്തമം; ദേശത്തിലോ മണ്ഡലത്തിലോ, നഗരത്തിലോ ഗ്രാമമദ്ധ്യത്തിലോ—ഇത് നിലനിൽക്കുന്നിടം പാവനമാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• etat: this
• etat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थ (demonstrative)

• dharmyam: righteous, pertaining to dharma
• dharmyam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharmya (धर्म्य-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (धर्मसम्बन्धि/धर्मयुक्त)

• upākhyānam: narrative, account
• upākhyānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upākhyāna (उपाख्यान-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• sarva-śāstreṣu: in all scriptures
• sarva-śāstreṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (सर्व-प्रातिपदिक) + śāstra (शास्त्र-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (सर्वाणि शास्त्राणि)

• anuttamam: unsurpassed, supreme
• anuttamam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anuttama (अनुत्तम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (न उत्तमः)

• deśe: in a region
• deśe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deśa (देश-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive: or)

• maṇḍale: in a district/territory
• maṇḍale: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṇḍala (मण्डल-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (or)

• api: also, even
• api: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (also/even)

• nagare: in a city
• nagare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nagara (नगर-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• grāma-madhyataḥ: from/in the midst of a village
• grāma-madhyataḥ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: grāma (ग्राम-प्रातिपदिक) + madhya (मध्य-प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तस्-तद्धित)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; तसिल्/तस्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (from the middle of)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; Āvantya Khaṇḍa narration style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A traveling reciter carries the Revā narrative; scenes show him welcomed in a region, a provincial seat, a city, and a village square—each place becoming serene and orderly as people gather to listen.

Characters & Entities

• Śāstra
• Upākhyāna (Revā Māhātmya implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred narratives are treated as living dharma; their presence and propagation sanctify communities and uphold religious order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly Revā/Narmadā, since the ‘dharmya upākhyāna’ continues the Revā-carita context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied encouragement to install, preserve, and propagate the māhātmya text in public and domestic spaces.