Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

मृतो वर्षशतं साग्रं क्रीडित्वा च शिवे पुरे । राजा वा राजतुल्यो वा पश्चान्मर्त्येषु जायते

Transliteration

mṛto varṣaśataṃ sāgraṃ krīḍitvā ca śive pure | rājā vā rājatulyo vā paścānmartyeṣu jāyate

Translation

മരണാനന്തരം അവൻ ശിവപുരിയിൽ പൂർണ്ണ നൂറു വർഷം ക്രീഡാസുഖം അനുഭവിച്ച്, പിന്നെ മനുഷ്യലോകത്തിൽ രാജാവായോ രാജസമനായോ ജന്മിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• मृतः: having died/dead
• मृतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (जीवः/सः) विशेषण

• वर्षशतम्: a hundred years
• वर्षशतम्: Karma (Extent/object of experience/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु (शतं वर्षाणि)

• साग्रम्: and more (over and above)
• साग्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (अग्रेण सहितम् = अधिकम्)

• क्रीडित्वा: having sported/played
• क्रीडित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रीड् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• शिवे: in Śiva’s (holy)
• शिवे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; (पुरे) विशेषण

• पुरे: city
• पुरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• राजा: a king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Avyaya (Disjunction/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पबोधक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• राजतुल्यः: equal to a king
• राजतुल्यः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समाना)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राजन् + तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (राज्ञा तुल्यः)

• वा: or
• वा: Avyaya (Disjunction/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पबोधक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• मर्त्येषु: among mortals/in the human world
• मर्त्येषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• जायते: is born
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (to Yudhiṣṭhira)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (implied source of phala)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary tableau: the soul enjoying in a radiant Śiva-purī for a hundred years, then descending to be born as a king; Śiva’s city appears luminous with temples and celestial gardens.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śiva-pura (Śiva’s city)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit earned through tīrtha-dharma bears fruit beyond one life—granting heavenly joy and elevated rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Revā Khaṇḍa tīrtha context; its worship is said to lead to enjoyment in Śiva’s abode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new procedure; the verse describes the phala (result): Śiva-pura enjoyment and regal rebirth.