Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

यत्फलं लभते मर्त्यः सत्रे द्वादशवार्षिके । तत्फलं समवाप्नोति नात्र कार्या विचारणा

Transliteration

yatphalaṃ labhate martyaḥ satre dvādaśavārṣike | tatphalaṃ samavāpnoti nātra kāryā vicāraṇā

Translation

பன்னிரண்டு ஆண்டுச் சத்திர யாகத்தில் மனிதன் பெறும் பலன் எதுவோ, அதே பலனை இத்தானத்தால் பெறுவான்; இதில் ஐயமோ ஆராய்ச்சியோ வேண்டாம்.

Word by Word

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular; सम्बन्धसूचक (फलम् इत्यस्य विशेषण)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — Present indicative, 3rd person singular; आत्मनेपद

• मर्त्यः: a mortal man
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular

• सत्रे: in a sacrificial session (sattra)
• सत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative singular

• द्वादशवार्षिके: in the twelve-year (sattra)
• द्वादशवार्षिके: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश + वार्षिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative singular; विशेषण (सत्रे); समासः द्विगु (द्वादश वर्षाणि यस्य)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular; विशेषण (फलम्)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular

• समवाप्नोति: fully attains
• समवाप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+अव+आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — Present indicative, 3rd person singular; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध) — negation particle

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) — indeclinable adverb ‘here/in this matter’

• कार्या: to be done/necessary
• कार्या: Visheshana (Predicate qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative singular; विधेय-विशेषण (विचारणा)

• विचारणा: consideration/deliberation
• विचारणा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचारणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative singular

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic juxtaposition: on one side a grand Vedic satra with multiple fires and priests; on the other, a humble donor giving a pot of water and food—both radiating equal merit-light.

Characters & Entities

• Satra (12-year sacrifice)
• Dāna (implied from prior verse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassionate charity is presented as equal in merit to the most demanding long-term ritual sacrifices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is embedded in the Varuṇeśvara tīrtha context, highlighting the tīrtha-linked power of dāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied prescription is the gift described previously (water vessel with food), whose merit is compared to a twelve-year satra.