Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । अस्माहकस्य माहात्म्यं कथयस्व ममानघ । स्नानदानेन यत्पुण्यं तथा पिण्डोदकेन च

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | asmāhakasya māhātmyaṃ kathayasva mamānagha | snānadānena yatpuṇyaṃ tathā piṇḍodakena ca

Translation

যুধিষ্ঠিৰ ক’লে: হে অনঘ মহাত্মা, মোক অস্মাহকৰ মাহাত্ম্য কওক—স্নান আৰু দানৰ দ্বাৰা, আৰু পিণ্ড আৰু উদক-তৰ্পণৰ দ্বাৰা কেনে পুণ্য লাভ হয়?

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वक्ता

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अस्माहकस्य: of us/our
• अस्माहकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-एकवचनस्य/बहुवचनस्य पुराण-प्रयोगः; ‘of us/our’ (अस्माकस्य/अस्माकम् इत्यर्थे)

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness, sacred glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; object of कथयस्व

• कथयस्व: tell
• कथयस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; कथ् + णिच्)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; ‘tell (me)’

• मम: to me/my
• मम: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; genitive (to me/of me)

• अनघ: O sinless one
• अनघ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; vocative epithet ‘O sinless one’

• स्नानदानेन: by bathing and giving (charity)
• स्नानदानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान-दान (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (‘bathing and giving’); instrumental (by bathing and donation)

• यत्: whatever/that which
• यत्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक—‘that which’; qualifies पुण्यम्

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘merit’; correlated with यत्

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तुलनार्थक/समुच्चयार्थक (so/likewise)

• पिण्डोदकेन: by piṇḍa and water-offering
• पिण्डोदकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड-उदक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (‘piṇḍa and water/oblations of water’); instrumental

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction: and)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Asmāhaka

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mārkaṇḍeya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira, humble and attentive, questions sage Mārkaṇḍeya about Asmāhaka’s greatness; ritual items (water pot, darbha, piṇḍa plate) are arranged, foreshadowing the forthcoming prescriptions.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Asmāhaka
• Snāna
• Dāna
• Piṇḍa
• Udaka (tarpaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A seeker should inquire into the proper forms and fruits of tīrtha-practice—especially those tied to charity and ancestral rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Asmāhaka (introduced as a Pitṛ-tīrtha), whose māhātmya Yudhiṣṭhira requests.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing), dāna (charity), piṇḍa-offering, and udaka/tarpaṇa (water oblations) for the ancestors.