Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण न तां गच्छन्ति सद्गतिम् । शुक्लतीर्थे मृतो जन्तुर्देहत्यागेन यां लभेत्

Transliteration

tapasā brahmacaryeṇa na tāṃ gacchanti sadgatim | śuklatīrthe mṛto janturdehatyāgena yāṃ labhet

Translation

แม้ด้วยตบะและพรหมจรรย์ ก็ยังไม่อาจบรรลุสัทคติอันนั้นได้; แต่สัตว์โลกเมื่อสละกาย (ถึงความตาย) ณ ศุกลตีรถะ ย่อมได้บรรลุสัทคตินั้น

Word by Word

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मचर्येण: by celibacy, brahmacarya
• ब्रह्मचर्येण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणि चर्या); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• ताम्: that (her/that one)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; 'सद्गतिम्' प्रति निर्देशः

• गच्छन्ति: they go/attain
• गच्छन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• सद्गतिम्: the good state/destination
• सद्गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (सत्-गति: उत्तमा गति); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• शुक्लतीर्थे: at Śukla-tīrtha
• शुक्लतीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्लतीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• मृतः: dead, having died
• मृतः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृ (धातु) → मृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'जन्तुः' इति विशेषण

• जन्तुः: a creature, person
• जन्तुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• देहत्यागेन: by abandoning the body (by death)
• देहत्यागेन: Karana (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक) + त्याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देहस्य त्यागः); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• याम्: which (state)
• याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे 'सद्गतिम्'

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śuklatīrtha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene passing: an aged pilgrim lies on the riverbank at Śuklatīrtha, hearing mantras; as breath leaves, a luminous path rises from the Narmadā toward a radiant realm, suggesting a ‘sadgati’ beyond ascetic attainments.

Characters & Entities

• Śuklatīrtha
• Sadgati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa magnifies the spiritual power of a holy place: tīrtha-prabhāva can surpass even severe personal asceticism.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śuklatīrtha is praised as granting exceptional sadgati even at the time of death.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; the focus is on the fruit of dehatyāga (dying) at Śuklatīrtha.