Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

स पुमान्स्वर्गमाप्नोति इत्येवं शङ्करोऽब्रवीत् । प्राणत्यागं तु यः कुर्याच्छिखिना सलिलेन वा

Transliteration

sa pumānsvargamāpnoti ityevaṃ śaṅkaro'bravīt | prāṇatyāgaṃ tu yaḥ kuryācchikhinā salilena vā

Translation

“وہ مرد سُورگ کو پاتا ہے”—یوں شنکر نے فرمایا۔ مزید یہ کہ جو کوئی جان دے—چاہے آگ سے یا پانی سے—(اس مقدس سیاق میں)…

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• pumān: a man
• pumān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pumān (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• svargam: heaven
• svargam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• āpnoti: attains
• āpnoti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इति-प्रयोग (quotative particle)

• evam: in this way
• evam: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• śaṅkaraḥ: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• śaṅkaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṅkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• abravīt: said
• abravīt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• prāṇa-tyāgam: giving up of life
• prāṇa-tyāgam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + tyāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• kuryāt: should do
• kuryāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• śikhinā: with fire (lit. ‘crested one’)
• śikhinā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śikhin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• salilena: with water
• salilena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: salila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Alternative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

Speaker

Śaṅkara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King/prince (addressed across the passage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as a luminous teacher-figure speaks to a king; behind them the river glows; symbolic elements of fire and water appear as controlled ritual flames and flowing currents, indicating the verse’s mention without depicting violence.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Svarga
• Prāṇatyāga
• Agni (fire)
• Salila (water)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic narrative links sacred-context dharma and end-of-life circumstances with elevated post-mortem destinations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Revā Khaṇḍa context, implying a merit-bestowing tīrtha within the Revā region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed here; it transitions to describing extraordinary outcomes connected with prāṇatyāga by fire or water.