Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तस्मिंस्तीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा पापकर्मापि भारत । न पश्यति महाघोरं नरकद्वारसंज्ञिकम्

Transliteration

tasmiṃstīrthe naraḥ snātvā pāpakarmāpi bhārata | na paśyati mahāghoraṃ narakadvārasaṃjñikam

Translation

O Bhārata, selbst ein Mensch, der mit sündhaften Taten beladen ist—nach dem Bad an jener heiligen Furt—erblickt nicht den überaus schrecklichen Ort, der „Tor zur Hölle“ genannt wird.

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; निर्देश (in that)

• तीर्थे: at the pilgrimage place
• तीर्थे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्थानाधिकरण

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तृपद

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वक्रिया (having bathed)

• पापकर्मा: one of sinful deeds
• पापकर्मा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नरः इति विशेषणम्

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (even/also)

• भारत: O Bhārata (descendant of Bharata)
• भारत: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

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

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• महाघोरम्: very terrible
• महाघोरम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; नरकद्वारसंज्ञिकम् इति विशेषणम्

• नरकद्वारसंज्ञिकम्: called ‘the gate of hell’
• नरकद्वारसंज्ञिकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नरक + द्वार + संज्ञिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (महाघोरम्) विशेष्य; ‘नरकद्वार’ इति संज्ञा यस्य (called ‘the gate of hell’)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual narrator in the dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Anarakeśvara (implied by prior verse)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (addressed as Bhārata)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim bathing in Narmadā at dawn near a Śiva shrine; behind, a shadowy ‘gate of hell’ motif dissolves into mist, signifying sins being cut off.

Characters & Entities

• Bhārata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-snāna, when performed with faith, is portrayed as powerful enough to block the soul’s approach to dreadful hellish destinies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha within the Revā Khaṇḍa (Narmadā sacred geography); the verse refers to ‘that tīrtha’ already introduced in the surrounding passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at the specified tīrtha.