Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

ते यान्ति शांकरे लोके सर्वपापक्षयंकरे । नैव पापक्षयश्चास्य ब्राह्मणस्य नरेश्वर

Transliteration

te yānti śāṃkare loke sarvapāpakṣayaṃkare | naiva pāpakṣayaścāsya brāhmaṇasya nareśvara

Translation

അവർ ശങ്കരലോകത്തെ പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു; അത് സർവ്വപാപക്ഷയകരമാണ്. എന്നാൽ, ഹേ നരേശ്വരാ, ഈ ബ്രാഹ്മണന് പാപക്ഷയം ഉണ്ടായില്ല.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• शांकरे: Śaṅkara’s
• शांकरे: Adhikarana (Location qualifier/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शांकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to लोके)

• लोके: world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वपापक्षयंकरे: in the sin-destroying (world) that destroys all sins
• सर्वपापक्षयंकरे: Adhikarana (Location qualifier/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + पाप + क्षय + कर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां पापानां क्षयं करोति इति) — विशेषण (to लोके)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• पापक्षयः: destruction of sin
• पापक्षयः: Karta (Predicate nominative/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप + क्षय (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पापस्य क्षयः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अस्य: of this (man)
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ब्राह्मणस्य: of the brahmin
• ब्राह्मणस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नरेश्वर: O lord of men (king)
• नरेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नराणाम् ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual attribution within Adhyāya 83 narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hanūmanteśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nareśvara (king; addressed as 'O lord of men')

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two contrasting ascents: sattvic souls rising to a luminous Śiva-loka (Kailāsa-like realm), while the greedy brāhmaṇa remains earthbound, shadowed by attachment.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara
• Brāhmaṇa
• Nareśvara (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred merit bears fruit, but deep-seated faults like greed can obstruct true purification; inner transformation is essential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha context is implied in Revā Khaṇḍa; the verse highlights the power of Śaiva merit leading to Śaṅkara’s realm.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it states the fruit (attaining Śaṅkara’s realm) and the moral caveat.