Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

धर्मं समाचरन्नित्यं पापांशेन न लिप्यते । श्रुतिस्मृत्युदितं धर्मं मनसापि न लङ्घयेत्

Transliteration

dharmaṃ samācarannityaṃ pāpāṃśena na lipyate | śrutismṛtyuditaṃ dharmaṃ manasāpi na laṅghayet

Translation

Wer täglich Dharma übt, wird nicht einmal von einem Hauch von Sünde befleckt. Den in Śruti und Smṛti verkündeten Dharma soll man nicht überschreiten, nicht einmal im Geist.

Word by Word

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

• समाचरन्: practicing/performing
• समाचरन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-चर् (धातु) + शतृ (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कर्तरि कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (one) practicing

• नित्यम्: always/constantly
• नित्यम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययवत् (adverbial accusative)

• पापांशेन: by sin/with sinful taint
• पापांशेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापांश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; करण/साधन (by/with a share of sin)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• लिप्यते: is tainted
• लिप्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is smeared/tainted)

• श्रुतिस्मृत्युदितम्: declared in Śruti and Smṛti
• श्रुतिस्मृत्युदितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक) + स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक) + उदित (कृदन्त; √उद्/उद्-उत्थाने + त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (declared in śruti and smṛti)

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

• मनसा: by mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• लङ्घयेत्: should transgress/overstep
• लङ्घयेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लङ्घ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; विध्यर्थः (should not transgress)

Speaker

Deductive (Revā Khaṇḍa narrative voice; likely a senior narrator/teacher addressing a royal interlocutor)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrtha (general)

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a riverbank performs simple daily rites while a subtle depiction shows the mind as a lotus—pure when aligned with śāstra; shadowy forms of pāpa dissolve.

Characters & Entities

• Śruti
• Smṛti
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Daily, consistent dharma—grounded in Śruti and Smṛti—purifies a person so thoroughly that even subtle sin does not adhere.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a general dharma-principle within the Revā (Narmadā) context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a specific ritual; it prescribes mental and practical adherence to scripturally taught dharma.