Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

मृतः स तु न सन्देहो रुद्रस्यानुचरो भवेत् । शुक्लतीर्थे तु यः कन्यां शक्त्या दद्यादलंकृताम्

Transliteration

mṛtaḥ sa tu na sandeho rudrasyānucaro bhavet | śuklatīrthe tu yaḥ kanyāṃ śaktyā dadyādalaṃkṛtām

Translation

అతడు మరణించిన తరువాత నిస్సందేహంగా రుద్రుని అనుచరుడవుతాడు. అలాగే శుక్లతీర్థంలో ఎవడు తన సామర్థ్యానుసారం అలంకరించిన కన్యను దానం చేస్తాడో—

Word by Word

• mṛtaḥ: dead
• mṛtaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛ (धातु) + ta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थक

• na: no / not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• sandehaḥ: doubt
• sandehaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃdeha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• rudrasya: of Rudra
• rudrasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• anucaraḥ: attendant, follower
• anucaraḥ: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anu-cara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• bhavet: would become
• bhavet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• śuklatīrthe: at Śukla-tīrtha
• śuklatīrthe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śukla-tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (शुक्लं तीर्थम्)

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थक

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम

• kanyām: a maiden
• kanyām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• śaktyā: with ability / as per one’s means
• śaktyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• dadyāt: should give
• dadyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• alaṃkṛtām: adorned
• alaṃkṛtām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: alaṃ-kṛ (धातु) + ta (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भूतकृदन्त (adorned)

Speaker

Narrator (likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing a king (nṛpa) within the Revā-khaṇḍa frame

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śukla Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Śukla Tīrtha’s bright ghāṭa, a donor family offers gifts for a maiden’s auspicious future; Rudra’s gaṇas appear as a celestial promise, indicating post-mortem ānucarya.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Śuklatīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Charity performed at a praised tīrtha, even according to one’s limited means, yields exalted Śaiva merit and divine proximity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śukla Tīrtha, a revered pilgrimage spot described in the Revā-khaṇḍa (Narmadā sacred region).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charitable giving) at Śukla Tīrtha—specifically the giving of an adorned maiden/daughter-related meritorious gift, performed according to one’s capacity.