Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

स पापैर्विविधैर्मुक्तो लोकमाप्नोति शांकरम् । मानसं वाचिकं पापं कायिकं यत्पुरा कृतम्

Transliteration

sa pāpairvividhairmukto lokamāpnoti śāṃkaram | mānasaṃ vācikaṃ pāpaṃ kāyikaṃ yatpurā kṛtam

Translation

متحرّراً من شتّى أنواع الخطايا يبلغ عالم شَنْكَرَا. وأيّ خطايا ارتُكبت من قبل—بالذهن أو بالقول أو بالجسد—

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पापैः: from sins
• पापैः: Apādāna (Separation; from sins)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• विविधैः: various
• विविधैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying पापैः)

• मुक्तः: freed
• मुक्तः: Karta (Subject; predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; धातु: मुच् (to be released)

• लोकम्: world/realm
• लोकम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: आप् (to obtain/reach)

• शांकरम्: of Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शांकरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शांकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying लोकम्)

• मानसम्: mental
• मानसम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying पापम्)

• वाचिकम्: verbal
• वाचिकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाचिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying पापम्)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object; implied ‘committed’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कायिकम्: bodily/physical
• कायिकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कायिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying पापम्)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relativizer)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (formerly/previously)

• कृतम्: done/committed
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicative participle for ‘sin’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; धातु: कृ (to do)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Alikeśvara-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim emerges from the river radiant; dark wisps symbolizing sins dissolve from head (mind), mouth (speech), and body (action). In the sky, a luminous Śaṅkara-loka appears with Śiva’s emblematic presence, indicating the promised destination.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara
• Pāpa (sin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha-merit purifies all dimensions of wrongdoing—thought, speech, and action—leading toward Śiva’s transcendent realm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha of Adhyāya 225 (Alikeśvara context), praised for pāpa-kṣaya and Śaṅkara-loka attainment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse emphasizes the fruit (phala) of tīrtha practice; the implied context is bathing and worship as stated in the surrounding verses.