Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

एकः पुत्रो धरापृष्ठे पित्ःणामार्तिनाशनः । चाणक्यो नाम राजाभूच्छुक्लतीर्थं च वेद सः

Transliteration

ekaḥ putro dharāpṛṣṭhe pitḥṇāmārtināśanaḥ | cāṇakyo nāma rājābhūcchuklatīrthaṃ ca veda saḥ

Translation

Auf dem Antlitz der Erde gab es einen einzigen Sohn, der den Ahnen die Not nahm. Ein König namens Cāṇakya erhob sich — er kannte wahrlich das Śuklatīrtha.

Word by Word

• ekaḥ: one, single
• ekaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• putraḥ: son
• putraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• dharā-pṛṣṭhe: on the surface of the earth
• dharā-pṛṣṭhe: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharā (प्रातिपदिक) + pṛṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• pitṝṇām: of the fathers/ancestors
• pitṝṇām: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ārti-nāśanaḥ: destroyer of distress
• ārti-nāśanaḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ārti (प्रातिपदिक) + nāśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• cāṇakyaḥ: Cāṇakya
• cāṇakyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāṇakya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Sambandha (Appositive marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामनिर्देशक-निपात (particle indicating name)

• rājā: king
• rājā: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• abhūt: was/became
• abhūt: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• śukla-tīrtham: the Śukla Tīrtha (white sacred ford)
• śukla-tīrtham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śukla (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• veda: knows
• veda: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śuklatīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A renowned king, singled out as ‘one on earth’, is shown learning/knowing the hidden Śuklatīrtha on the banks of Revā; subtle imagery of ancestors being relieved.

Characters & Entities

• Pitaras (Ancestors)
• Cāṇakya
• Śuklatīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Knowing and properly approaching a great tīrtha can uplift one’s ancestors and remove their affliction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śuklatīrtha, explicitly said to be known by King Cāṇakya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not directly; the verse introduces a narrative exemplar (Cāṇakya) connected to ancestral benefit.