Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणां मार्गेऽयं देवसेवितः । गुरूणां च गुरुः शास्त्रं परमं सिद्धिकारणम्

Transliteration

dharmārthakāmamokṣāṇāṃ mārge'yaṃ devasevitaḥ | gurūṇāṃ ca guruḥ śāstraṃ paramaṃ siddhikāraṇam

Translation

ധർമ്മം, അർത്ഥം, കാമം, മോക്ഷം എന്നിവ നേടുവാനുള്ള ഈ മാർഗം ദേവന്മാർ സേവിക്കുന്നതാണ്. ഈ ശാസ്ത്രം ഗുരുക്കന്മാരുടെയും ഗുരു; പരമസിദ്ധിയുടെ കാരണമാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणाम्: of dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa
• धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + अर्थ + काम + मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; चतुर्थी-समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (समास)

• मार्गे: in the path
• मार्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• देवसेवितः: served by the gods
• देवसेवितः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + सेव् (धातु) → सेवित (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) ‘सेवित’; देव-तत्पुरुषः

• गुरूणाम्: of teachers
• गुरूणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गुरुः: (the) guru
• गुरुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शास्त्रम्: the scripture/teaching
• शास्त्रम्: Pradhana-predicative (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• सिद्धिकारणम्: cause of success/accomplishment
• सिद्धिकारणम्: Pradhana-predicative (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सिद्धेः कारणम्)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; Āvantya Khaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) kṣetra-mahātmya (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene teaching scene: a revered speaker (ṛṣi or divine narrator) expounds the four puruṣārthas; gods listen in attendance, indicating ‘devasevita mārga’; a manuscript/śāstra is shown as luminous, symbolizing ‘guru of gurus’.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Artha
• Kāma
• Mokṣa
• Devas
• Śāstra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scripture-guided devotion integrates worldly aims and liberation; true success (siddhi) is rooted in dharmic teaching.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a single site explicitly; the verse elevates the śāstra (contextually, the Revā-māhātmya) as the guiding path.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it prescribes adherence to the śāstra as the authoritative guide.