Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

सर्वेषामेव यज्ञानामश्वमेधो विशिष्यते । दुर्लभः स्वल्पवित्तानां भूरिशः पापकर्मणाम्

Transliteration

sarveṣāmeva yajñānāmaśvamedho viśiṣyate | durlabhaḥ svalpavittānāṃ bhūriśaḥ pāpakarmaṇām

Translation

सर्व यज्ञांमध्ये अश्वमेध श्रेष्ठ आहे; पण अल्पवित्त लोकांस तो दुर्लभ, आणि पापकर्मांनी भारलेल्या जनांस त्याचे सम्यक् अनुष्ठान फार अडथळ्यांनी रोखले जाते।

Word by Word

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — genitive plural ‘of all’

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

• यज्ञानाम्: of sacrifices
• यज्ञानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — genitive plural

• अश्वमेधः: the Aśvamedha
• अश्वमेधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — nominative singular

• विशिष्यते: is distinguished/excels
• विशिष्यते: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + √शिष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकाल), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — present, 3rd sg.; अर्थः ‘श्रेष्ठतां गच्छति/उत्कृष्यते’

• दुर्लभः: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभः: Pratipādya (Predicate complement/पूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — predicate adjective (to अश्वमेधः)

• स्वल्पवित्तानाम्: of the poor (those with little wealth)
• स्वल्पवित्तानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + वित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — genitive plural; समासः स्वल्प-वित्त = ‘having little wealth’

• भूरिशः: (very) abundant/large
• भूरिशः: Pratipādya (Predicate complement/पूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूरिश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — predicate adjective (to अश्वमेधः); अर्थः ‘अत्यन्तं/बहु’

• पापकर्मणाम्: of sinners/of those with sinful deeds
• पापकर्मणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — genitive plural; समासः पाप-कर्मन् = ‘sinful deeds/evil-doers’ (contextually: persons of sinful acts)

Speaker

Śaṅkara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Daśāśvamedha-tīrtha (implied)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājendra (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative teaching scene: a sage explains to a king that Aśvamedha is supreme but difficult for the poor and obstructed by sin; in the background, a grand yajña arena contrasts with humble pilgrims at a riverbank.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvamedha
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual greatness alone is not enough—means (vitta) and moral purity (karma) condition one’s capacity to perform grand sacrifices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sets up the tīrtha-context of Daśāśvamedha by contrasting it with the difficulty of the Aśvamedha sacrifice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aśvamedha is referenced as the highest yajña, implicitly motivating alternative tīrtha-based practices for those unable to perform it.