Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेय उवाच । स्नानदानपरो यस्तु नित्यं धर्ममनुव्रतः । नर्मदातीरमाश्रित्य मुच्यते सर्वपातकैः

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca | snānadānaparo yastu nityaṃ dharmamanuvrataḥ | narmadātīramāśritya mucyate sarvapātakaiḥ

Translation

মাৰ্কণ্ডেয় ক’লে: যি সদায় স্নান-দানত নিবিষ্ট আৰু নিত্য ধৰ্ম অনুসৰণ কৰে—নর্মদাৰ তীৰ আশ্ৰয় ল’লে সি সকলো পাপৰ পৰা মুক্ত হয়।

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Speaker)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: √वच् (to speak)

• स्नानदानपरः: devoted to bathing and charity
• स्नानदानपरः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of यः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्नान + दान + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (स्नानदानयोः परः = devoted to bathing and giving)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: indeed)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाव)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (adverb: always)

• धर्मम्: dharma/righteousness
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• अनुव्रतः: observant/following (dharma)
• अनुव्रतः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of यः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मम् अनु व्रतः = following dharma)

• नर्मदातीरम्: the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदातीरम्: Karma (Object/Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नर्मदायाः तीरम्)

• आश्रित्य: having resorted to
• आश्रित्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: √श्रि (to resort to) उपसर्ग: आ-

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive); धातु: √मुच् (to be released)

• सर्वपातकैः: from all sins
• सर्वपातकैः: Apādāna (Source: from sins)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (अपादान/हेतु), बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (सर्वाणि पातकानि)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Mārkaṇḍeya teaches a pilgrim on the Narmadā ghat; devotees bathe at dawn and distribute alms; the river shines as a purifier, with subtle divine presence above the waters.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Narmadā (Revā)
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular dharmic living, joined with tīrtha-practices like snāna and dāna at Narmadā, leads to purification from sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā-tīra (the banks of the Narmadā/Revā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (holy bathing) and dāna (charity), coupled with daily dharma observance, while residing at/depending on Narmadā’s bank.