Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

राज्ञ्युवाच । अद्यापि वर्तते कालो धर्मस्योपार्जने तव । कृतापकृतकर्मा वै व्रतदानैर्विशुध्यति

Transliteration

rājñyuvāca | adyāpi vartate kālo dharmasyopārjane tava | kṛtāpakṛtakarmā vai vratadānairviśudhyati

Translation

രാജ്ഞി പറഞ്ഞു—ഇപ്പോഴും നിനക്ക് ധർമ്മം സമ്പാദിക്കാനുള്ള സമയം ഉണ്ട്. ശുഭവും അശുഭവും ചെയ്തവനും വ്രതവും ദാനവുംകൊണ്ട് നിശ്ചയം ശുദ്ധിയാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• राज्ञी: the queen
• राज्ञी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्ञी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अद्यापि: even now, still today
• अद्यापि: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; कालवाचक अव्यय

• वर्तते: exists, remains
• वर्तते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• कालः: time, opportunity
• कालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• धर्मस्य: of dharma
• धर्मस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th, genitive), एकवचन

• उपार्जने: in acquiring/earning
• उपार्जने: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उप + अर्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th, locative), एकवचन; भाववाचक (action noun)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th, genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कृतापकृतकर्मा: one who has done both good and bad deeds
• कृतापकृतकर्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत + अपकृत + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्वसमास (कृतं च अपकृतं च); 'कर्मा' = कर्मन्-शब्दस्य प्रथमा एकवचन (पुंलिङ्ग) बहुव्रीहिवत् प्रयोगः: 'one whose deeds are (both) good and bad'

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

• व्रतदानैः: by vows and gifts
• व्रतदानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्वसमास (व्रतं च दानं च); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd, instrumental), बहुवचन

• विशुध्यति: becomes purified
• विशुध्यति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + शुध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Rājñī (Queen Bhānumatī, by context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The queen offers calm, corrective counsel—hand raised in reassurance—redirecting the Śabara from self-harm to vows and charity; the riverbank tīrtha appears peaceful again.

Characters & Entities

• Rājñī
• vrata
• dāna
• dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

No one is beyond reform: dharma can still be accumulated, and purification is possible through vows and charity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is delivered in the Śūlabheda tīrtha context, reinforcing the tīrtha’s role as a place of purification and renewal.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vrata (religious vows/observances) and dāna (charitable giving) are explicitly prescribed as means of purification.