Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

स लभेन्मुख्यविप्राणां फलं साहस्रिकं नृप । तत्र देवशिला रम्या महापुण्यविवर्धिनी

Transliteration

sa labhenmukhyaviprāṇāṃ phalaṃ sāhasrikaṃ nṛpa | tatra devaśilā ramyā mahāpuṇyavivardhinī

Translation

അവൻ, ഹേ നൃപ, മുഖ്യ ബ്രാഹ്മണസേവയുടെ ഫലത്തോടു തുല്യമായ ആയിരമടങ്ങ് ഫലം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു. അവിടെ മനോഹരമായ ‘ദേവശില’യും ഉണ്ട്; അത് മഹാപുണ്യം വർദ്ധിപ്പിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• मुख्य-विप्राणाम्: of the foremost brahmins
• मुख्य-विप्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक) + विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी (genitive), बहुवचन (plural); कर्मधारयसमास (‘chief brahmins’)

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• साहस्रिकम्: thousandfold
• साहस्रिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साहस्रिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular); विशेषणम्

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन (singular)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय

• देव-शिला: the divine rock/stone
• देव-शिला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + शिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular); तत्पुरुषसमास

• रम्या: lovely
• रम्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular); विशेषणम्

• महापुण्य-विवर्धिनी: increasing great merit
• महापुण्य-विवर्धिनी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + विवर्धिनी (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वर्ध् धातु, वि-उपसर्ग, णिनि/इनी प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular); तत्पुरुषसमास; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Unspecified Purāṇic narrator (addressing a king: nṛpa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devatīrtha (with Devaśilā)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa/narādhipa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A revered stone (Devaśilā) on the ghat, decorated with flowers and sandal paste; a kingly patron oversees feeding of eminent Brahmins; the stone radiates subtle light signifying punya-vardhana.

Characters & Entities

• Devaśilā
• Devatīrtha
• Vipras (Brahmins)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service to the worthy at a sanctified place multiplies merit; sacred markers like Devaśilā anchor remembrance and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Devatīrtha, specifically highlighting the presence of the Devaśilā within the tīrtha क्षेत्र.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Charity through feeding Brahmins is praised, with a stated thousandfold fruit; reverence for the Devaśilā is implied as a merit-increasing act.