Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

पित्ःणां परमं लोकं यदीच्छेद्धर्मनन्दन । वर्जयेत्तान्प्रयत्नेन काणान्दुष्टांश्च दाम्भिकान्

Transliteration

pitḥṇāṃ paramaṃ lokaṃ yadīccheddharmanandana | varjayettānprayatnena kāṇānduṣṭāṃśca dāmbhikān

Translation

О радость Дхармы, если желают Питрам высшего мира, следует со всем усердием избегать привлекать к этим священным обрядам одноглазых, злых и лицемерных.

Word by Word

• पितॄणाम्: of the fathers/ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (लोकम्)

• लोकम्: world, realm
• लोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional particle)

• इच्छेत्: should desire
• इच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √इष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• धर्मनन्दन: O delight of Dharma
• धर्मनन्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य नन्दनः)

• वर्जयेत्: should avoid
• वर्जयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृज्/√वर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• तान्: those (people)
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• काणान्: one-eyed (persons)
• काणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• दुष्टान्: wicked
• दुष्टान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-प्राय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (तान्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात

• दाम्भिकान्: hypocrites, pretenders
• दाम्भिकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाम्भिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Śaṅkara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dharmanandana (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cautionary teaching scene: the instructor gestures in warning; shadowed figures representing hypocrisy and wickedness are kept outside the ritual boundary; inside, the sacred space is clean and orderly, with pitṛs envisioned awaiting benefit.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Śrāddha
• Brāhmaṇa (implied officiants)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity of means matters: ancestral welfare is linked to the integrity and fitness of those conducting the rite.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s sacred geography centered on the Revā (Narmadā) region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid appointing unfit persons—wicked, hypocritical, or impaired—for śrāddha-related duties.