Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

सर्वपापहरं पुण्यं सर्वदुःखघ्नमुत्तमम् । तत्र तीर्थे प्रतिष्ठाप्य देवदेवं जगद्गुरुः

Transliteration

sarvapāpaharaṃ puṇyaṃ sarvaduḥkhaghnamuttamam | tatra tīrthe pratiṣṭhāpya devadevaṃ jagadguruḥ

Translation

ذلكَ الموضعُ المقدَّسُ يزيلُ كلَّ الآثام؛ وهو بالغُ اليُمنِ سامٍ، قاهرٌ لكلِّ حزن. وهناكَ في ذلكَ التيرثا كرَّسَ مُعلِّمُ العالمِ إلهَ الآلهة.

Word by Word

• सर्वपापहरम्: removing all sins
• सर्वपापहरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + पाप + हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वपापानां हरः = removing all sins)

• पुण्यम्: holy, meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; (तत्/तीर्थम्) इति विशेषणम्

• सर्वदुःखघ्नम्: destroying all suffering
• सर्वदुःखघ्नम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + दुःख + घ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वदुःखानां घ्नः = destroying all sorrows)

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• तीर्थे: in the tīrtha
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: having established
• प्रतिष्ठाप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + स्था (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + ल्यप् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘स्थापयित्वा’ इत्यर्थः

• देवदेवम्: the God of gods
• देवदेवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानाम् देवम्)

• जगद्गुरुः: the teacher of the world
• जगद्गुरुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जगतः गुरुः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced for Āvantya Khaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakatīrtha/Śūlabheda tīrtha (as sarva-pāpa-hara, sarva-duḥkha-ghna)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpottama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A consecration scene on the riverbank: priests and devotees around a liṅga, pouring water and milk; the atmosphere suggests relief from sorrow—faces softened, hands in prayer; the river glows as if absorbing sins.

Characters & Entities

• Devadeva (Śiva)
• Jagadguru (epithet)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage places sanctified by divine consecration are taught as powerful for removing sin and alleviating suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha in the Revā Khaṇḍa (Revā/Narmadā sacred landscape), praised as sin-destroying and sorrow-dispelling.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pratiṣṭhā (ritual installation/consecration) of the deity at the tīrtha is referenced.