Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

धर्मस्थितिं महाभागौ भक्तिं वानुत्तमां युवाम् । अजरो व्याधिरहितः पञ्चविंशतिवर्षवत् । अस्मिन्स्थाने सदा स्थेयं सह देवैरसंशयम्

Transliteration

dharmasthitiṃ mahābhāgau bhaktiṃ vānuttamāṃ yuvām | ajaro vyādhirahitaḥ pañcaviṃśativarṣavat | asminsthāne sadā stheyaṃ saha devairasaṃśayam

Translation

“โอผู้มีบุญยิ่ง ขอประทานความมั่นคงในธรรม และภักติอันสูงสุดแก่ข้าพเจ้า ขอให้ข้าพเจ้าไร้ชรา ปราศจากโรคาพาธ ประหนึ่งมีอายุยี่สิบห้าปีเสมอ และขอให้พระองค์ทั้งสองสถิต ณ สถานที่นี้ตลอดกาล พร้อมด้วยหมู่เทพ โดยปราศจากข้อสงสัย”

Word by Word

• धर्म-स्थितिम्: steadfastness in dharma
• धर्म-स्थितिम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म; ‘धर्मस्य स्थितिः’ (steadfastness in dharma)

• महाभागौ: O greatly fortunate ones
• महाभागौ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), द्विवचन; ‘महान् भागः यस्य’ इति (honorific epithet)

• भक्तिम्: devotion
• भक्तिम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• वा: and/or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/विकल्पार्थक निपात) = or/and

• अनुत्तमाम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (भक्तिम् इति विशेष्य)

• युवाम्: you two
• युवाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; द्वितीया (2nd), द्विवचन

• अजरः: ageless
• अजरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अजर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (अध्याहृतस्य ‘अहं’ वा ‘भवन्’ इत्यस्य)

• व्याधि-रहितः: free from disease
• व्याधि-रहितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक) + रहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘व्याधिना रहितः’ (free from disease)

• पञ्चविंशति-वर्षवत्: like (one) of twenty-five years (old)
• पञ्चविंशति-वर्षवत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चविंशति (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + वर्षवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्गे समानरूप, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपमानार्थक—‘पञ्चविंशतिवर्षस्य सदृशम्’ (like of 25 years)

• अस्मिन्-स्थाने: in this place
• अस्मिन्-स्थाने: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण; ‘अस्मिन् स्थाने’ (in this place)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) = always

• स्थेयम्: should be stayed (one should remain)
• स्थेयम्: Kriya (Obligation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: भावे/कर्मणि विधेय (gerundive, यत्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधिलिङ्गार्थ—‘स्थातव्यम्’ (should be stayed)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakaraka (Accompaniment)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपसर्गसदृश/सहयोगार्थक) = with; सह + तृतीया

• देवैः: with the gods
• देवैः: Sahakaraka (Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; सह-योगे

• असंशयम्: without doubt
• असंशयम्: Kriya (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असंशयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/क्रियाविशेषण) = without doubt, certainly

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (narrating to Yudhiṣṭhira, inferred)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (asmin sthāna)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devotee petitions for dharma and supreme devotion, and for freedom from disease and perpetual youth; the riverbank setting glows as if being consecrated by the request that the gods remain there forever.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Bhakti
• Devas
• Kṛṣṇa
• Śaṅkara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest aim is dharma grounded in supreme devotion; worldly well-being is sought only as support for spiritual life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The specific ‘asmin sthāne’ on the Narmadā in Revā Khaṇḍa, where the deities are requested to remain installed and present.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual act is prescribed; it is a formal vara-prārthanā (request for boons), including the request for deity’s continual presence at the site.