Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

महाभाग्येऽपि तीर्थस्य शाङ्करं व्रतमास्थिताः । वियोनिं यान्त्यसन्दिग्धं लौलुप्येन समन्विताः

Transliteration

mahābhāgye'pi tīrthasya śāṅkaraṃ vratamāsthitāḥ | viyoniṃ yāntyasandigdhaṃ laulupyena samanvitāḥ

Translation

மிகப் பாக்கியமிக்க தீர்த்தத்தில்கூட, பேராசையுடன் சைவ (சாங்கர) விரதத்தை ஏற்றோர் நிச்சயமாக அயோக்ய யோனி—இழிந்த பிறவி—அடைகின்றனர்.

Word by Word

• महाभाग्ये: in (its) great fortune/excellence
• महाभाग्ये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—महच्च तत् भाग्यम् (कर्मधारय), अधिकरणम्; (तीर्थस्य) इति षष्ठीसम्बन्धः

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-निपात (even/also)

• तीर्थस्य: of the sacred place/pilgrimage
• तीर्थस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• शाङ्करम्: Śaṅkara-related
• शाङ्करम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (व्रतम्)

• व्रतम्: vow, observance
• व्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• आस्थिताः: having undertaken
• आस्थिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-स्था (स्था धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः ‘having undertaken/observed’

• वियोनिम्: a bad/low womb (rebirth)
• वियोनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि (उपसर्ग) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• यान्ति: go, attain
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• असन्दिग्धम्: undoubtedly
• असन्दिग्धम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अ- (निषेध) + सन्दिग्ध (सन्दिह् धातु, क्त-कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative/neuter) ‘without doubt’

• लौलुप्येन: by greed
• लौलुप्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लौलुप्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• समन्विताः: endowed (with)
• समन्विताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-अन्वि (अन्वि/इ धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः ‘endowed/associated with’

Speaker

Nandī (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahābhāgya Revā-tīrtha (unspecified)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a radiant river-tīrtha, a devotee holds a Śaiva vow-symbol (rudrākṣa, bilva) while clutching coins; the coins transform into chains pulling him downward toward a dark womb-like abyss; a compassionate ascetic warns him.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A vow’s fruit depends on inner purity; greed corrupts even sacred observances and leads to adverse karmic results.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā tīrtha-region is the setting; the verse stresses that even the best tīrtha cannot sanctify greed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It refers to undertaking a Śāṅkara (Śaiva) vrata, with the implicit prescription that it must be performed without greed.