Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

रक्तचन्दनमिश्रेण यदर्घ्येण फलं स्मृतम् । तत्र तीर्थे नृपश्रेष्ठ स्नात्वा तत्फलमाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

raktacandanamiśreṇa yadarghyeṇa phalaṃ smṛtam | tatra tīrthe nṛpaśreṣṭha snātvā tatphalamāpnuyāt

Translation

O Bester der Könige: Welcher Lohn auch immer dem Darbringen von Arghya, mit rotem Sandel vermischt, zugeschrieben wird—wer in eben diesem Tīrtha badet, erlangt denselben Lohn.

Word by Word

• रक्तचन्दनमिश्रेण: with (water) mixed with red sandalwood
• रक्तचन्दनमिश्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + चन्दन (प्रातिपदिक) + मिश्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण/हेतु), एकवचनम्; ‘रक्तचन्दनेन मिश्रः’ इति (तत्पुरुष-समासः), करणम् (instrumental)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्ध-प्रदर्शकं सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• अर्घ्येण: with the arghya-offering (water)
• अर्घ्येण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; करणम् (instrumental)

• फलम्: the fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्तृ/विषय-रूपेण (predicate nominative)

• स्मृतम्: is stated/remembered
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त-प्रत्ययान्तं भूतकर्मणि/भूतकाले (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; ‘स्मृत’ = ‘said/remembered’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अधिकरणम् (locative)

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘नृपाणां श्रेष्ठः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; सम्बोधनम् (vocative address)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (Non-finite/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्तः—क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्तं (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having bathed)

• तत्-फलम्: that result
• तत्-फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘तस्य फलम्’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; कर्म (object)

• आप्नुयात्: should obtain
• आप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; ‘he should obtain’

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpaśreṣṭha (best of kings)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-king (or addressed ruler) stands at a riverbank tīrtha; a brass arghya-vessel holds water scented with red sandalwood; the act is mirrored by the pilgrim stepping into the sacred waters, implying equivalence of merit.

Characters & Entities

• Arghya
• Rakta-candana
• Sāṃvaura (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha’s sanctity is so exalted that bathing there grants merits comparable to refined ritual offerings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same tīrtha under discussion in this adhyāya—Sāṃvaura/Sāṃvaureśvara region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arghya offering with rakta-candana is referenced; the verse emphasizes snāna at the tīrtha as yielding equivalent merit.