Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

दिनैः कैश्चिद्गतो विप्रः स्वर्गं वैतालिकैर्वृतः । बर्ही च काशीराजस्य पुत्रस्तीर्थप्रभावतः

Transliteration

dinaiḥ kaiścidgato vipraḥ svargaṃ vaitālikairvṛtaḥ | barhī ca kāśīrājasya putrastīrthaprabhāvataḥ

Translation

കുറച്ച് ദിവസങ്ങൾ കഴിഞ്ഞപ്പോൾ ആ ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ ദിവ്യ വൈതാലികന്മാർ ചുറ്റിനിന്ന് സ്വർഗത്തിലേക്ക് ഗമിച്ചു. കാശീരാജന്റെ പുത്രൻ ബർഹിയും ആ തീർത്ഥത്തിന്റെ പ്രഭാവത്താൽ അതേ ഫലം പ്രാപിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• दिनैः: by days; in (some) days
• दिनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• कैश्चित्: by some (days)
• कैश्चित्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Indefinite pronoun, instrumental plural

• गतः: gone
• गतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत्; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Past passive participle used predicatively

• विप्रः: a brāhmaṇa
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• स्वर्गम्: to heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (goal)

• वैतालिकैः: by bards/minstrels
• वैतालिकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैतालिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• वृतः: surrounded
• वृतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु) → वृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Past passive participle

• बर्ही: Barhī (proper name)
• बर्ही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बर्हिन्/बर्ही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय; conjunction

• काशीराजस्य: of the king of Kāśī
• काशीराजस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी-राज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (काश्याः राजा); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Apposition (विशेष्य-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• तीर्थप्रभावतः: due to the power of the tīrtha
• तीर्थप्रभावतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तीर्थ-प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष-समास (तीर्थस्य प्रभावः) + तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय; Ablatival adverb

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (specific ford described in Revākhaṇḍa, ch. 83)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpa/nareśvara)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa ascends to svarga in a luminous aerial path while celestial bards (vaitālika/gandharva-like) sing; beside him, Barhī, prince of Kāśī, is shown receiving the same heavenly passage, with the Revā-tīrtha shimmering below.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra (brāhmaṇa)
• Svarga
• Vaitālika
• Barhī
• Kāśī
• Kāśīrāja

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas have transformative power, granting exalted results like heavenly attainment when approached within dharmic life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Revā Khaṇḍa tīrtha (on/near the Narmadā) is praised for its tīrtha-prabhāva, though the exact name is outside this snippet.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse records the result (svarga-prāpti) attributed to tīrtha power.