Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

यानि कानि च तीर्थानि चासमुद्रसरांसि च । शिवलिङ्गार्चनस्येह कलां नार्हन्ति षोडशीम्

Transliteration

yāni kāni ca tīrthāni cāsamudrasarāṃsi ca | śivaliṅgārcanasyeha kalāṃ nārhanti ṣoḍaśīm

Translation

എത്ര തീർത്ഥങ്ങളായാലും, എത്ര സരോവരങ്ങളും സമുദ്രപര്യന്തമുള്ള ജലങ്ങളും ആയാലും—ഇവിടെ ശിവലിംഗാർചനയിൽ ലഭിക്കുന്ന പുണ്യത്തിന്റെ പതിനാറിലൊരുഭാഗത്തിനും അവ സമമല്ല.

Word by Word

• यानि: which (all those)
• यानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• कानि: any
• कानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), बहुवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक/प्रश्नार्थक-रूपम् (here: 'any')

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

• तीर्थानि: sacred places
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), बहुवचन

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

• असमुद्रसरांसि: lakes (other than the ocean)
• असमुद्रसरांसि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ (नञ्-प्रत्यय) + समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), बहुवचन; नञ्-समासः/कर्मधारयः (असमुद्राणि सरांसि = lakes not being the ocean)

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

• शिवलिङ्गार्चनस्य: of worship of Śiva-liṅga
• शिवलिङ्गार्चनस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य लिङ्गस्य अर्चनम्)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• कलाम्: a part/fraction
• कलाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• अर्हन्ति: are worthy/amount to
• अर्हन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• षोडशीम्: sixteenth
• षोडशीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडशिन्/षोडशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; संख्याविशेषणम् (sixteenth)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Revā Khaṇḍa māhātmya emphasis)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha with Śiva-liṅga arcana focus (name not specified in the verse)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant Śiva-liṅga on the riverbank receives abhiṣeka; surrounding it are symbolic representations of many tīrthas and seas shown as smaller, humbled forms, indicating they are not equal to even a fraction of this worship’s merit.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śiva-liṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship (arcana) at a consecrated Śaiva kṣetra is presented as superior to general pilgrimage merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The local kṣetra of this chapter—centered on Śiva-liṅga worship near Revā–Kumbheśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-liṅga arcana (liṅga worship) is recommended as the foremost practice at this place.