Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

भवकोटिशतोत्पन्नषुण्यराशिविपाकतः । लभ्यते वा पुनस्तत्र बिल्वपत्रार्चनं विभोः

Transliteration

bhavakoṭiśatotpannaṣuṇyarāśivipākataḥ | labhyate vā punastatra bilvapatrārcanaṃ vibhoḥ

Translation

Sesudah masaknya buah timbunan pahala dan dosa—laksana kehampaan yang luas—yang terkumpul sepanjang ratusan krore kelahiran, barulah dalam suasana suci itu seseorang memperoleh peluang menyembah Tuhan Yang Mahaagung (Vibhu) dengan daun bilva.

Word by Word

• भव: of (worldly) existence; birth
• भव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषे पूर्वपद (समासाङ्ग), एकवचन (genitive sense in compound)

• कोटि: crore; ten million
• कोटि: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषे मध्यपद (समासाङ्ग), एकवचन (genitive sense in compound)

• शत: hundred
• शत: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषे मध्यपद (समासाङ्ग), एकवचन (genitive sense in compound)

• उत्पन्न: arisen; produced
• उत्पन्न: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्√पद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → उत्पन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासान्त-विशेषण)

• शून्य: void; empty
• शून्य: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शून्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषे पूर्वपद (समासाङ्ग), एकवचन (genitive sense in compound)

• राशि: heap; mass; collection
• राशि: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राशि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषे मध्यपद (समासाङ्ग), एकवचन (genitive sense in compound)

• विपाकतः: from the fruition/result
• विपाकतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विपाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; तसिल्-अर्थे ‘-तः’ (ablative: from/as a result of)

• लभ्यते: is obtained
• लभ्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• वा: or; indeed
• वा: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (particle of alternative)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Adhikarana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक अव्यय (adverb: again)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb: there)

• बिल्वपत्रार्चनम्: worship with bilva leaves
• बिल्वपत्रार्चनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिल्व-पत्र-अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक; components: बिल्व + पत्र + अर्चन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (बिल्वस्य पत्राणि → बिल्वपत्रम्; ततः तेन/तस्य अर्चनम्)

• विभोः: of the Lord
• विभोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

Speaker

Deductive: Purāṇic narrator within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa (likely Sūta-style narration to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee in a sacred precinct approaches a Śiva-liṅga with a copper vessel and a plate of fresh bilva leaves; the atmosphere suggests the weight of countless births culminating in a single auspicious offering.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Vibhu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Access to simple Śiva-worship (bilva-leaf offering) is portrayed as extraordinarily rare—attained only after long karmic maturation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; the praise functions as a general māhātmya within the Brahmottarakhaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bilvapatrārcana—offering bilva leaves in worship of the Lord (Śiva), typically to the Śivaliṅga.