Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

स याति त्रिदशस्थानं नाकस्त्रीभिः समावृतः । यस्तत्र विधिवत्स्नात्वा दानं प्रेतेषु यच्छति

Transliteration

sa yāti tridaśasthānaṃ nākastrībhiḥ samāvṛtaḥ | yastatra vidhivatsnātvā dānaṃ preteṣu yacchati

Translation

他将前往三十天神之居处，周围环绕着天界仙女——凡在彼处依仪轨沐浴后，为亡者施舍供养者，皆得此果。

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• त्रिदशस्थानम्: the abode of the gods
• त्रिदशस्थानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदश (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (त्रिदशानां स्थानम्)

• नाकस्त्रीभिः: by celestial women
• नाकस्त्रीभिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाक (प्रातिपदिक) + स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नाकस्य स्त्रियः)

• समावृतः: surrounded
• समावृतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-√वृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सः)

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

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• विधिवत्: according to rule
• विधिवत्: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• दानम्: a gift/charity
• दानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रेतेषु: among/for the departed (manes)
• प्रेतेषु: Sampradana/Adhikarana (सम्प्रदान/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• यच्छति: gives/offers
• यच्छति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced from immediate chapter context in this passage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (unspecified sub-tīrtha in this verse)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā (king; addressed as ‘rājan’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a sacred riverbank completes a prescribed bath, then offers gifts for departed ancestors; the scene culminates in a visionary promise of the ‘Tridaśa-sthāna’ with apsarās surrounding the meritorious soul.

Characters & Entities

• Tridaśas (Thirty Gods)
• Preta (departed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is completed by compassion—bathing with discipline and giving in the name of the departed brings exalted merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse refers to “there” (tatra) within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s Narmadā tīrtha context; the exact tīrtha name is not stated in this line alone.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vidhivat snāna (proper bathing) at the site, followed by dāna intended for the departed (preteṣu).