Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

अथवा प्राप्स्यते तात विद्यादानस्य यत्फलम् । तत्फलं प्राप्यते नित्यं कथाश्रवणतो हरेः

Transliteration

athavā prāpsyate tāta vidyādānasya yatphalam | tatphalaṃ prāpyate nityaṃ kathāśravaṇato hareḥ

Translation

اے محترم! ودیا دان (علم کا صدقہ) کا جو پھل ہے وہی حاصل ہوتا ہے؛ بلکہ ہری کی مقدّس کتھائیں سننے سے وہ پھل ہمیشہ ملتا رہتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/विकल्प (disjunctive particle)

• प्राप्स्यते: will be obtained
• प्राप्स्यते: Kriyā (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तात: O dear one/son
• तात: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• विद्या-दानस्य: of the gift of knowledge
• विद्या-दानस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative) विशेषणम् (फलम् इति)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्-फलम्: that fruit (same result)
• तत्-फलम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्राप्यते: is obtained
• प्राप्यते: Kriyā (Predicate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative)

• कथा-श्रवणतः: from hearing the story
• कथा-श्रवणतः: Apādāna/Hetu (Source/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ (cause/source)

• हरेः: of Hari (Vishnu)
• हरेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-maṇḍala (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mārkaṇḍeya (addressed as ‘tāta’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The listener gestures in reasoning: ‘perhaps the fruit of gifting knowledge is gained by hearing Hari’s stories’; the sage sits serene, with a manuscript and a small Viṣṇu emblem (śaṅkha-cakra) subtly present.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Hari (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Listening to Hari’s sacred stories is elevated as an ever-available discipline that yields the same merit as the profound charity of imparting knowledge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative is Maṇināgeśvara in the Narmadā region; this verse specifically glorifies the practice of Hari-kathā rather than a location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kathā-śravaṇa of Hari (listening to Viṣṇu’s sacred narratives), compared in merit to vidyā-dāna (donation of knowledge/teaching).