Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

वैनतेयभयत्रस्ता यथा नश्यन्ति पन्नगाः । तद्वत्पापानि नश्यन्ति भस्मनाभ्युक्षितानि ह

Transliteration

vainateyabhayatrastā yathā naśyanti pannagāḥ | tadvatpāpāni naśyanti bhasmanābhyukṣitāni ha

Translation

كما تهلك الحيّاتُ حين ترتعد خوفًا من فايناتيا (غارودا)، كذلك تهلك الخطايا حين يُرشّ المرء أو يُمسح بالرماد المقدّس.

Word by Word

• vainateya-bhaya-trastāḥ: frightened by fear of Vainateya (Garuḍa)
• vainateya-bhaya-trastāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of pannagāḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vainateya (प्रातिपदिक) + bhaya (प्रातिपदिक) + trasta (कृदन्त; √tras त्रस्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘त्रस्त’ — masculine, nominative plural; PPP “frightened (by)”

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparative/Upamā)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमा-बोधक) — indeclinable “as/just as”

• naśyanti: perish/vanish
• naśyanti: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √naś (नश्)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद — present indicative, 3rd person plural, active

• pannagāḥ: serpents
• pannagāḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pannaga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — masculine, nominative plural

• tadvat: likewise
• tadvat: Sambandha (Comparative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (तुलना-बोधक) — indeclinable “likewise”

• pāpāni: sins
• pāpāni: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — neuter, nominative plural

• naśyanti: perish
• naśyanti: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √naś (नश्)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद — present indicative, 3rd person plural, active

• bhasmanā: with ash
• bhasmanā: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhasman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — neuter, instrumental singular

• abhyukṣitāni: sprinkled (with it)
• abhyukṣitāni: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of pāpāni)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhi- (उपसर्ग) + √ukṣ (उक्ष् ‘to sprinkle’) + ita (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त — neuter, nominative plural; PPP “sprinkled/anointed”

• ha: indeed
• ha: Nipāta (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात; पदपूरण/उद्गार) — particle for emphasis

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) [deduced]

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Garuḍa swoops over fleeing serpents; parallel vignette shows a devotee being sprinkled with sacred ash, with dark ‘sin’ motifs dispersing.

Characters & Entities

• Vainateya (Garuḍa)
• Serpents (pannaga)
• Bhasma (sacred ash)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sin is depicted as powerless before the sanctity of bhasma, just as serpents are powerless before Garuḍa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Revā-tīra (Narmadā) māhātmya where Śaiva ash-practices are praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhasma-abhyukṣaṇa—being sprinkled/anointed with sacred ash (a Śaiva purification observance).