Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

स्नानैश्च विविधैर्देवं पुष्पागरुविलेपनैः । प्रभाते पौर्णमास्यां तु स्नानादिविधितर्पणैः

Transliteration

snānaiśca vividhairdevaṃ puṣpāgaruvilepanaiḥ | prabhāte paurṇamāsyāṃ tu snānādividhitarpaṇaiḥ

Translation

Durch mannigfache heilige Bäder und durch Darbringung von Blumen und duftenden Agaru-Salben soll man den Herrn verehren; und am Morgen des Vollmondtages ebenso durch das Bad und die vorgeschriebenen Tarpaṇa-Riten.

Word by Word

• स्नानैः: by baths/ablutions
• स्नानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विविधैः: various
• विविधैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (स्नानैः इत्यस्य)

• देवम्: the deity (God)
• देवम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• पुष्पागरुविलेपनैः: with flower-and-aloes unguents/anointments
• पुष्पागरुविलेपनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प + अगुरु + विलेपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; समासः—पुष्प-अगुरु-विलेपन (flowers-and-aloes unguents)

• प्रभाते: in the morning
• प्रभाते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; काल-अधिकरण

• पौर्णमास्याम्: on the full-moon day
• पौर्णमास्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर्णमासी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; तिथि-निर्देश

• तु: indeed/then
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle)

• स्नानादिविधितर्पणैः: by tarpaṇa rites as prescribed, beginning with bathing
• स्नानादिविधितर्पणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान + आदि + विधि + तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; समासः—स्नान-आदि-विधि-तर्पण (tarpanas according to rites beginning with bathing)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) snāna-tīrtha (as framed in Revākhaṇḍa)

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (addressed in the surrounding passage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn on the full-moon day, pilgrims descend stone steps to the river, perform snāna, then offer flowers and fragrant agarwood paste before a Śiva emblem or shrine; tarpaṇa is poured with cupped hands facing the water.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied by context)
• Paurṇamāsī
• Tarpaṇa
• Agaru
• Puṣpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification (snāna) and grateful offering (tarpaṇa) complete devotion, integrating body, ritual, and reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within this passage, the rites are intended for the Devakhāta/Māṇḍaveśvara tīrtha setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Multiple baths, pūjā with flowers and agaru, and on Paurṇamāsī morning, prescribed tarpaṇa alongside bathing.