Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

वाचिकं मानसं पापं कर्मजं यत्पुराकृतम् । तत्क्षालयति देवेशो दर्शनादेव पातकम्

Transliteration

vācikaṃ mānasaṃ pāpaṃ karmajaṃ yatpurākṛtam | tatkṣālayati deveśo darśanādeva pātakam

Translation

Sünden, begangen durch Wort, Geist und Tat, selbst die einst verübten, wäscht der Herr der Götter hinweg; schon durch Sein bloßes Darśana wird der Makel der Schuld gereinigt.

Word by Word

• वाचिकम्: verbal
• वाचिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाचिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पापम्)

• मानसम्: mental
• मानसम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पापम्)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कर्मजम्: born of actions (deeds)
• कर्मजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्म-ज (प्रातिपदिक; कर्मन् + ज)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कर्मणः जातम्) विशेषणम् (पापम्)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative) सर्वनाम, पापम् इति अन्वयः

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly)

• कृतम्: committed
• कृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; पापस्य विशेषणम् (done/committed)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अन्वादेश (that)

• क्षालयति: washes away
• क्षालयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षल् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• देवेशः: the Lord of gods
• देवेशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-ईश (प्रातिपदिक; देव + ईश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानाम् ईशः)

• दर्शनात्: by (mere) sight
• दर्शनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Nipata (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात (indeed/just)

• पातकम्: sin/crime
• पातकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; पापस्य पर्यायः, कर्मपद (object)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from 'śaṅkaraḥ' speaking in this adhyāya-context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahma-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahīpāla (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands at the river steps, hands folded, beholding the presiding Lord; dark stains dissolve into light as the Narmadā glows—symbolizing cleansing of speech, mind, and deed.

Characters & Entities

• Deveśa
• Śaṅkara (implied)
• Brahmatīrtha (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana of the Lord—especially at a praised tīrtha—has the power to cleanse even long-standing sins of thought, word, and deed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding passage points to Brahmatīrtha in the Revā-khaṇḍa (a Revā/Narmadā-region tīrtha).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the emphasis is on the purifying efficacy of darśana itself.