Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

वैश्योऽपि हि त्यजन्प्राणानेवं वै शुभभाग्भवेत् । जले वा शुद्धभावेन त्यक्त्वा प्राणाञ्छिवो भवेत्

Transliteration

vaiśyo'pi hi tyajanprāṇānevaṃ vai śubhabhāgbhavet | jale vā śuddhabhāvena tyaktvā prāṇāñchivo bhavet

Translation

വൈശ്യനും ഇപ്രകാരം പ്രാണത്യാഗം ചെയ്താല്‍ ശുഭഫലം ലഭിക്കും. അല്ലെങ്കില്‍ ശുദ്ധമനസ്സോടെ ജലത്തില്‍ പ്രാണന്‍ വെടിഞ്ഞ് ശിവപദം പ്രാപിക്കാം.

Word by Word

• वैश्यः: a Vaishya
• वैश्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक अव्यय (also/even)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• त्यजन्: abandoning
• त्यजन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्राणान्: life-breaths; life
• प्राणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• शुभ-भाग्: fortunate; having good share
• शुभ-भाग्: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभभाग् (प्रातिपदिक); शुभ (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग्/भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; (भाग्-शब्दः, प्रथमा एकवचन)

• भवेत्: may become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• जले: in water
• जले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or)

• शुद्ध-भावेन: with pure intention
• शुद्ध-भावेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धभाव (प्रातिपदिक); शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), परस्मैपदी; अव्ययभाव

• प्राणान्: life-breaths; life
• प्राणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• शिवः: auspicious; blessed
• शिवः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (अथवा शिव-नाम)

• भवेत्: may become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing reply)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm river scene: a devotee at the Revā enters the water with folded hands, mind fixed on Śiva; attendants and priests stand on the ghat with lamps.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner purity at life’s end is emphasized; a purified mind aligns the soul with auspiciousness and Śiva’s state.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Water as a medium is mentioned generally; the larger Revā Khaṇḍa milieu associates such themes with sacred rivers, especially the Revā (Narmadā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Relinquishing life ‘in water’ with śuddha-bhāva (purified intention), framed as a spiritually fruitful end-of-life observance.