Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

यस्त्वर्चयेन्महादेवं तस्मिंस्तीर्थे युधिष्ठिर । स्नात्वाभ्यर्च्य पित्ःन् देवान् सोऽश्वमेधफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

yastvarcayenmahādevaṃ tasmiṃstīrthe yudhiṣṭhira | snātvābhyarcya pitḥn devān so'śvamedhaphalaṃ labhet

Translation

แต่โอ้ยุธิษฐิระ ผู้ใดบูชามหาเทวะ ณ ตีรถะนั้น—อาบน้ำแล้วบูชาบรรพชน (ปิตฤ) และเหล่าเทวะ—ย่อมได้บุญผลเสมออัศวเมธยัญ

Word by Word

• यः: whoever
• यः: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/contrast)

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• महादेवम्: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• महादेवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महान् देवः)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• अभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• अभ्यर्च्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभि + अर्च् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• पितॄन्: the ancestors
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अश्वमेधफलम्: the fruit of the Aśvamedha sacrifice
• अश्वमेधफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अश्वमेधस्य फलम्)

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (to Yudhiṣṭhira)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha with Mahādeva-arcana (unnamed)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a river ghat, the pilgrim completes snāna, then offers bilva leaves and water to a Śiva-liṅga; nearby, offerings are made to Pitṛs and Devas, while the narrator addresses Yudhiṣṭhira about Aśvamedha-equivalent merit.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva
• Pitṛs
• Devas
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Aśvamedha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion at a holy place can yield the same merit as grand royal sacrifices, making dharma accessible beyond kingship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Pattreśvara-associated tīrtha of the Revā Khaṇḍa, where Mahādeva worship grants Aśvamedha-like fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathed first (snāna), then worship Mahādeva, and also perform reverence/worship for Pitṛs and Devas.