Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

नापुत्रो नाधनो रोगी सप्तजन्मसु जायते । एकविंशतिं पितुः पक्षे मातुश्वैवेकविंशतिम्

Transliteration

nāputro nādhano rogī saptajanmasu jāyate | ekaviṃśatiṃ pituḥ pakṣe mātuśvaivekaviṃśatim

Translation

ഏഴ് ജന്മങ്ങൾ വരെ അവൻ പുത്രഹീനനായോ ദരിദ്രനായോ രോഗിയായോ ജനിക്കുകയില്ല. പിതൃപക്ഷത്തിൽ ഇരുപത്തൊന്ന് തലമുറകളെയും, മാതൃപക്ഷത്തിലും അതുപോലെ ഇരുപത്തൊന്ന് തലമുറകളെയും അവൻ തരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अपुत्रः: sonless (man)
• अपुत्रः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अधनः: poor (man)
• अधनः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• रोगी: sick (man)
• रोगी: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), अव्ययवत् प्रयोग; समासपूर्वपद

• जन्मसु: in (the) births
• जन्मसु: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण: in births)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (locative), बहुवचन (plural)

• जायते: is born
• जायते: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• एकविंशतिम्: twenty-one
• एकविंशतिम्: Karma (Object: number/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकविंशति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative), एकवचन (singular); द्विगु-समास: एक + विंशति (21)

• पितुः: of the father
• पितुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (genitive), एकवचन (singular)

• पक्षे: on the side (lineage)
• पक्षे: Adhikaraṇa (Domain/side/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (locative), एकवचन (singular)

• मातुः: of the mother
• मातुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (genitive), एकवचन (singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• एकविंशतिम्: twenty-one
• एकविंशतिम्: Karma (Object: number/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकविंशति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative), एकवचन (singular); द्विगु-समास

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlabheda

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: the pilgrim stands before Śiva’s shrine while behind him appear two ancestral ‘trees’—paternal and maternal—each with 21 luminous ancestor figures ascending, signifying uplift; the pilgrim is crowned by blessings of health, wealth, and children.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛ-lineage (father’s side)
• Mātṛ-lineage (mother’s side)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-sevā is framed as both worldly welfare and transgenerational upliftment of one’s lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śūlabheda-tīrtha in the Revā Khaṇḍa, praised for powerful lineage-benefits.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse states results (phalaśruti); the implied practice is tīrtha-bathing/rites at Śūlabheda described in the surrounding verses.