Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

यावन्तो रोमकूपाः स्युः शरीरे सर्वदेहिनाम् । तावद्वर्षप्रमाणेन पित्ःणामक्षया गतिः

Transliteration

yāvanto romakūpāḥ syuḥ śarīre sarvadehinām | tāvadvarṣapramāṇena pitḥṇāmakṣayā gatiḥ

Translation

സകല ദേഹികളുടെയും ശരീരത്തിൽ എത്ര രോമകൂപങ്ങളുണ്ടോ, അത്ര വർഷങ്ങളുടെ അളവിൽ പിതൃകൾക്ക് അക്ഷയഗതി—അവിനാശിയായ പ്രയോജനം—ലഭിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• यावन्तः: as many as
• यावन्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यावत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; परिमाणवाचक-विशेषण

• रोमकूपाः: hair-pores
• रोमकूपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोम-कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (रोम्णः कूपाः)

• स्युः: may be / would be
• स्युः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• शरीरे: in the body
• शरीरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• सर्वदेहिनाम्: of all embodied beings
• सर्वदेहिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (सर्वे देहिनः)

• तावत्: so much / that many
• तावत्: Visheshana (Measure/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तावत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक (correlative to यावन्तः)

• वर्षप्रमाणेन: by the measure of years
• वर्षप्रमाणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष-प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वर्षैः प्रमाणम्)

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• अक्षया: imperishable
• अक्षया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; विशेषण (to गतिः)

• गतिः: state/destination
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; continuing the śrāddha-phala statement)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā-tata śrāddha-sthāna (near Kumbheśvara)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic visualization: countless tiny ‘romakūpas’ (hair pores) shimmer like stars over a human silhouette, transforming into a vast calendar of years; above, pitṛs ascend luminous steps, receiving offerings that never diminish.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (Ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-based śrāddha yields akṣaya (non-decaying) merit for ancestors, emphasizing the potency of place in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The context is the Narmadā bank near Kumbheśvara where śrāddha is being praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse continues the promised fruit of performing śrāddha; it implies śrāddha/tarpaṇa for Pitṛs at the site.