Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

जिज्ञासार्थं तु यः कश्चिदात्मानं ज्ञातुमिच्छति । शुभाशुभं च यत्कर्म तस्य निष्ठामिमां शृणु

Transliteration

jijñāsārthaṃ tu yaḥ kaścidātmānaṃ jñātumicchati | śubhāśubhaṃ ca yatkarma tasya niṣṭhāmimāṃ śṛṇu

Translation

لیکن جو کوئی سچی جستجو کے لیے اپنے آپ (آتما) کو جاننا چاہے، اور یہ پہچاننا چاہے کہ کون سا عمل شُبھ ہے اور کون سا اَشُبھ، وہ اس کے لیے مقررہ اس آچرن کو سنے۔

Word by Word

• जिज्ञासार्थम्: for the purpose of inquiry
• जिज्ञासार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जिज्ञासा (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (अर्थ-शब्दानुसार), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; प्रयोजनवाचक (for the purpose)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (particle)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-यः (relative pronoun)

• कश्चित्: someone, anyone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (निपात)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite pronoun)

• आत्मानम्: the self
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; कर्म

• ज्ञातुम्: to know
• ज्ञातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), क्रियार्थ (purpose of knowing)

• इच्छति: desires
• इच्छति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present indicative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शुभाशुभम्: good and bad (together)
• शुभाशुभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक) + अशुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (collective)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषण (relative)

• कर्म: action, deed
• कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; ‘यत् कर्म’ = which action

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• निष्ठाम्: the discipline/observance
• निष्ठाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; कर्म

• इमाम्: this
• इमाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषण (demonstrative)

• शृणु: hear, listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic voice transitioning from ritual to philosophical discernment)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Seeker/king addressed as audience for instruction

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher addresses seekers: one figure gestures toward the heart (Self-knowledge), another holds palm-leaf scripture; the river and tīrtha landscape remain in the background, indicating learning within pilgrimage.

Characters & Entities

• Ātman (Self)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True purification culminates in discernment—knowing the Self and distinguishing auspicious from inauspicious action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

While not naming a site directly, it continues Revākhaṇḍa’s tīrtha-teaching frame associated with Revā/Narmadā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; it introduces a niṣṭhā (disciplined observance) for self-knowledge and ethical discernment.