Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

अनाशकं तु यः कुर्यात्तस्मिंस्तीर्थे नराधिप । तस्य पुण्यफलं यद्वै तच्छृणुष्व नरोत्तम

Transliteration

anāśakaṃ tu yaḥ kuryāttasmiṃstīrthe narādhipa | tasya puṇyaphalaṃ yadvai tacchṛṇuṣva narottama

Translation

ഹേ നരാധിപാ, ആ തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ ആരെങ്കിലും ഉപവാസം (അനാശകം) അനുഷ്ഠിച്ചാൽ, അവനു ലഭിക്കുന്ന പുണ്യഫലം—ഹേ നരോത്തമാ—കേൾക്കുക; അത് നിശ്ചയമായും മഹത്താണ്.

Word by Word

• अनाशकम्: a fast (abstaining from food)
• अनाशकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनाशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; Accusative singular; ‘fasting/abstention from food’

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम; Nominative singular

• कुर्यात्: should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘should do/perform’

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; Locative singular

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; Locative singular

• नर-अधिप: O lord of men (king)
• नर-अधिप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नराणाम् अधिपः); Vocative singular

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; Genitive singular

• पुण्य-फलम्: the meritorious fruit
• पुण्य-फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थः (पुण्यं फलम् / पुण्यस्य फलम्); Nom/Acc singular

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम; ‘which’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-निपात (particle: indeed)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; Accusative singular; ‘that’ (referring to the fruit)

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; ‘listen’

• नर-उत्तम: O best of men
• नर-उत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नराणाम् उत्तमः); Vocative singular

Speaker

Sūta (deduced, Revā Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Narādhipa/Rājan (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at the riverbank takes a vow (saṅkalpa) before a small shrine; simple attire, controlled senses; a sage addresses the king, indicating the forthcoming fruit of the fast.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity performed at a consecrated place (tīrtha) multiplies merit; fasting there is presented as especially efficacious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha in this adhyāya’s context is the Kāverī–Narmadā saṅgama and the Narmadā-associated pilgrimage zone described in the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Anāśaka (fasting/abstinence from food) to be performed at the tīrtha.