Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

स पुमान्स्वर्गमाप्नोति इत्येवं शङ्करोऽब्रवीत् । प्राणत्यागं तु यः कुर्याच्छिखिना सलिलेन वा

Transliteration

sa pumānsvargamāpnoti ityevaṃ śaṅkaro'bravīt | prāṇatyāgaṃ tu yaḥ kuryācchikhinā salilena vā

Translation

“तो पुरुष स्वर्गास प्राप्त होतो”—असे शंकर म्हणाले. तसेच जो प्राणत्याग करील—अग्नीने किंवा जलाने—(या पावन प्रसंगी)…

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• pumān: a man
• pumān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pumān (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• svargam: heaven
• svargam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• āpnoti: attains
• āpnoti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इति-प्रयोग (quotative particle)

• evam: in this way
• evam: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• śaṅkaraḥ: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• śaṅkaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṅkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• abravīt: said
• abravīt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• prāṇa-tyāgam: giving up of life
• prāṇa-tyāgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + tyāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• kuryāt: should do
• kuryāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• śikhinā: with fire (lit. ‘crested one’)
• śikhinā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śikhin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• salilena: with water
• salilena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: salila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Alternative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

Speaker

Śaṅkara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King/prince (addressed across the passage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as a luminous teacher-figure speaks to a king; behind them the river glows; symbolic elements of fire and water appear as controlled ritual flames and flowing currents, indicating the verse’s mention without depicting violence.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Svarga
• Prāṇatyāga
• Agni (fire)
• Salila (water)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic narrative links sacred-context dharma and end-of-life circumstances with elevated post-mortem destinations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Revā Khaṇḍa context, implying a merit-bestowing tīrtha within the Revā region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed here; it transitions to describing extraordinary outcomes connected with prāṇatyāga by fire or water.