Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

सर्वः कोऽप्यतिहीनोऽपि स्वपूज्यस्यार्थसाधकः । स्वपूज्यतीर्थेष्वावासं प्रोक्तवान्नारदः कथम्

Transliteration

sarvaḥ ko'pyatihīno'pi svapūjyasyārthasādhakaḥ | svapūjyatīrtheṣvāvāsaṃ proktavānnāradaḥ katham

Translation

ആരെങ്കിലും—അത്യന്തം ദുർബലനായാലും—തൻ പൂജ്യദേവന്റെ ഉദ്ദേശ്യം സിദ്ധിപ്പിക്കാൻ ശേഷിയുള്ളവനാകുന്നു. അങ്ങനെ ഇരിക്കെ, നാരദൻ നിന്നോട് നിന്റെ തന്നെ പൂജ്യദേവന്റെ തീർത്ഥങ്ങളിൽ വസിക്കുവാൻ എങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞു?

Word by Word

• सर्वः: all/every (one)
• सर्वः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); ‘also/even’

• अतिहीनः: very deficient/lowly
• अतिहीनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति-हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘अति’ उपसर्गपूर्वक-समास

• अपि: even though
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); concessive ‘even if/though’

• स्वपूज्यस्य: of one’s own venerable (deity/person)
• स्वपूज्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-पूज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘स्वस्य पूज्यः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• अर्थसाधकः: accomplisher of the purpose
• अर्थसाधकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ-साधक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘अर्थं साधयति’ इति कर्म-तत्पुरुष

• स्वपूज्यतीर्थेषु: in the sacred places of one’s own venerable (deity)
• स्वपूज्यतीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-पूज्य-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; ‘स्वस्य पूज्यं तीर्थम्’ इति बहुपद-तत्पुरुष

• आवासम्: dwelling/residence
• आवासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रोक्तवान्: said/declared
• प्रोक्तवान्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु) + क्तवत् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कथम्: how/why
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

Speaker

Pārtha (Arjuna/Dhanaṃjaya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reflective interlocutor invokes Nārada’s counsel about dwelling at one’s own deity’s tīrthas; the setting suggests a sacred precinct with unseen guardians and a pilgrim’s hesitation turning into wonder.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Association with one’s iṣṭa-devatā through sacred places empowers even the weak; tīrthas magnify devotion into efficacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks generally of svapūjya-tīrthas (tīrthas of one’s chosen deity) without naming a particular location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Āvāsa (staying/dwelling) at sacred tīrthas is implied as a spiritually potent practice.