Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

स्नानं दानं जपो होमः स्वाध्यायो देवतार्चनम् । न वर्तते विना सूर्यं तेन पूज्यतमो रविः

Transliteration

snānaṃ dānaṃ japo homaḥ svādhyāyo devatārcanam | na vartate vinā sūryaṃ tena pūjyatamo raviḥ

Translation

Mandi suci, sedekah, japa, homa, svādhyāya dan pemujaan para dewa tidak terlaksana dengan sempurna tanpa Surya; maka Ravi (Surya) paling utama untuk dipuja.

Word by Word

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दानम्: giving; charity
• दानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• जपः: recitation
• जपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• होमः: fire-offering
• होमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्वाध्यायः: self-study; Vedic study
• स्वाध्यायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य अध्यायः)

• देवतार्चनम्: worship of deities
• देवतार्चनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: देवतानाम् अर्चनम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• वर्तते: exists; proceeds; is possible
• वर्तते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• विना: without
• विना: Apādāna (Ablative sense/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादानार्थक-अव्यय/उपपद (without; governs accusative)

• सूर्यम्: the Sun
• सूर्यम्: Apādāna (Object of ‘vinā’/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तेन: therefore; by that
• तेन: Hetu/Karaṇa (Reason/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पूज्यतमः: most worthy of worship
• पूज्यतमः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्य (कृदन्त, यत्) + तमप्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive) + तम (superlative)

• रविः: the Sun
• रविः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Deductive: Purāṇic narrator (likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa) within Revā Khaṇḍa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequence-like tableau: at sunrise a devotee bathes, gives alms, chants, tends a small homa fire, studies a palm-leaf text, and offers flowers—each act illuminated by the Sun above, indicating dependence on Sūrya.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya/Ravi
• Snāna
• Dāna
• Japa
• Homa
• Svādhyāya
• Devatā-arcana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All dharmic actions rely on the Sun’s sustaining presence; reverence to Sūrya supports every other sacred practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; the verse frames Sūrya as universally accessible worship across all pilgrimage regions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It endorses Sūrya-pūjā as foundational and connects it to core practices: snāna, dāna, japa, homa, svādhyāya, and devatā-arcana.