Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

विभक्तं हस्तमात्रं च पुण्यक्षेत्रं नराधिप । सुवर्णशिलके स्नात्वा पूजयित्वा महेश्वरम्

Transliteration

vibhaktaṃ hastamātraṃ ca puṇyakṣetraṃ narādhipa | suvarṇaśilake snātvā pūjayitvā maheśvaram

Translation

اے انسانوں کے حاکم! یہ پُنّیہ کھیتر جدا کیا گیا ہے، بس ایک ہاتھ بھر کے برابر۔ سَوَرْن شِلا میں اشنان کر کے اور مہیشور (شیو) کی پوجا کر کے…

Word by Word

• vibhaktam: divided/separated
• vibhaktam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi√bhaj (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• hastamātram: a hand’s measure
• hastamātram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hasta (प्रातिपदिक) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (hastasya mātram = a hand’s measure)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• puṇyakṣetram: holy field/sacred place
• puṇyakṣetram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (puṇyaṃ kṣetram)

• narādhipa: O lord of men (king)
• narādhipa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (narāṇām adhipaḥ)

• suvarṇaśilake: at Suvarṇaśilā
• suvarṇaśilake: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suvarṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + śilā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक; तत्पुरुषः (suvarṇā śilā)

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √snā (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having bathed)

• pūjayitvā: having worshipped
• pūjayitvā: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pūj (धातु) + itvā/ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having worshipped)

• maheśvaram: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• maheśvaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Suvarṇaśilā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (narādhipa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim bathes at a small marked patch by the river—barely a hand’s breadth—then offers flowers and bilva to a Śiva emblem (liṅga) under a riverside tree; the king is instructed by the sage.

Characters & Entities

• Suvarṇaśilā
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a small, well-consecrated sacred precinct can yield great merit when approached with proper bath and worship of Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Suvarṇaśilā, a bathing spot associated with worship of Maheśvara, within the Revā Khaṇḍa sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at Suvarṇaśilā followed by pūjā (worship) of Maheśvara (Śiva).