Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

दद्रुचित्रककुष्ठानि मण्डलानि विचर्चिका । नश्यन्ति देवभक्तस्य षण्मासान्नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

dadrucitrakakuṣṭhāni maṇḍalāni vicarcikā | naśyanti devabhaktasya ṣaṇmāsānnātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Ringelflechte, vitiligoähnliche Flecken, Aussatz, kreisförmige Ausschläge und Ekzeme werden beim Gottgeweihten innerhalb von sechs Monaten vernichtet — daran besteht kein Zweifel.

Word by Word

• दद्रु: ringworm
• दद्रु: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dadru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (जातिनिर्देशः; समाहारार्थे)

• चित्रककुष्ठानि: citraka and leprosy-type diseases
• चित्रककुष्ठानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citraka (प्रातिपदिक) + kuṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (citrakāni ca kuṣṭhāni ca)

• मण्डलानि: skin patches/circles
• मण्डलानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• विचर्चिका: eczema/scabies-like disease
• विचर्चिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vicarcikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नश्यन्ति: perish/disappear
• नश्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• देवभक्तस्य: of the god’s devotee
• देवभक्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (devasya bhaktaḥ)

• षण्मासात्: within six months (from)
• षण्मासात्: Kala-avadhi (Time limit/कालावधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (ṣaṇṇāṃ māsānām samāhaḥ)

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

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Adverbial locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ravitīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: a king (nṛpottama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee with skin afflictions bathes at the river and prays to Sūrya; over a symbolic six-month cycle, the lesions fade under sunlit radiance, emphasizing ‘no doubt’.

Characters & Entities

• Ravitīrtha (context)
• Deva (Sūrya/Bhāskara, context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through tīrtha-practice is described as purifying both inner sin and outer affliction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ravitīrtha, as part of its mahatmya describing tangible blessings for devotees.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new ritual is added; the verse emphasizes the result for “devabhakta” associated with the tīrtha’s worship-practice.