Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

तेन तीर्थं महापुण्यं सर्वपातकनाशनम् । कथितं ब्रह्मणा पूर्वं मया तव तथा नृप

Transliteration

tena tīrthaṃ mahāpuṇyaṃ sarvapātakanāśanam | kathitaṃ brahmaṇā pūrvaṃ mayā tava tathā nṛpa

Translation

Darum ist dieses Tīrtha von großem Verdienst und vernichtet alle Sünden. Einst wurde es von Brahmā verkündet, und nun habe auch ich es dir ebenso dargelegt, o König.

Word by Word

• तेन: therefore/by that
• तेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/हेतु), एकवचन

• तीर्थम्: the holy place/ford
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महापुण्यम्: greatly meritorious
• महापुण्यम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः; विशेषणम् (to तीर्थम्)

• सर्वपातकनाशनम्: destroyer of all sins
• सर्वपातकनाशनम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पातक (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वपातकानां नाशनम्); विशेषणम् (to तीर्थम्)

• कथितम्: was told/declared
• कथितम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) → कथित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; कर्मणि-भावः (has been told/declared)

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly/before)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तव: to you/your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/in the same way)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; addressing a king as listener)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śukla-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-like narrator addresses a king, gesturing toward the river tīrtha; behind them, a subtle iconographic presence of Brahmā signifies prior proclamation and scriptural authority.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Tīrtha (Śukla-tīrtha implied)
• Nṛpa (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-māhātmya is validated by lineage of revelation: what Brahmā taught is reaffirmed for devotees and rulers alike.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śukla-tīrtha (the tīrtha under discussion across these verses).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite; the verse authorizes the teaching and reiterates the tīrtha’s universal sin-destroying power.