Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

नभोगतं नश्यति चान्धकारं दृष्ट्वा रविं देववरं तथैव । नश्यन्ति पापानि सुदुस्तराणि दृष्ट्वा मुखं पार्थ धराधरस्य

Transliteration

nabhogataṃ naśyati cāndhakāraṃ dṛṣṭvā raviṃ devavaraṃ tathaiva | naśyanti pāpāni sudustarāṇi dṛṣṭvā mukhaṃ pārtha dharādharasya

Translation

Wie die Finsternis am Himmel beim Anblick der Sonne, des Besten unter den Göttern, vergeht, so vergehen auch, o Sohn der Pṛthā, selbst schwer zu überwindende Sünden, wenn man das Antlitz Dharādharas (Viṣṇus), des Erden-Trägers, schaut.

Word by Word

• नभः-गतम्: gone into the sky / sky-borne
• नभः-गतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नभस् (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (कृदन्त; गम्-धातोः क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (नभसि गतः)

• नश्यति: vanishes
• नश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• अन्धकारम्: darkness
• अन्धकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्धकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• रविम्: the Sun
• रविम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• देव-वरम्: best among gods
• देव-वरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (देवानां वरः) / विशेषण (रविम्)

• तथा: so/in the same way
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (तुल्यतावाचक)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण)

• नश्यन्ति: vanish
• नश्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• पापानि: sins
• पापानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• सु-दुस्तराणि: very hard to cross/overcome
• सु-दुस्तराणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + दुस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (पापानि); सु- उपपदेन तीव्रता

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• मुखम्: face
• मुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• पार्थ: O Pārtha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• धराधरस्य: of the mountain-bearer (i.e., of the one who bears the earth / of the mountain)
• धराधरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धराधर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (context: Revā Khaṇḍa narration; vocative suggests address to Arjuna/Pārtha)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharādhara (Viṣṇu) darśana at Revā tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee beholds Viṣṇu 'Dharādhara' in a shrine as the rising sun floods the sky; shadows retreat from the ghāṭa, symbolizing sins dissolving into light.

Characters & Entities

• Ravi (Sun)
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• Dharādhara (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord’s darśana dispels sin the way sunlight dispels darkness—immediately and decisively.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Revā Khaṇḍa sacred setting where the face/darśana of Viṣṇu (Dharādhara) is especially extolled.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse highlights darśana as the key act; no additional vrata or dāna is specified in this line.