Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 124

Devanagari script

स्नानं प्रकुर्वतो मेऽद्य पापं हरतु चार्जितम् । स स्नात्वानेन विधिना संतर्प्य पितृदेवताः

Transliteration

snānaṃ prakurvato me'dya pāpaṃ haratu cārjitam | sa snātvānena vidhinā saṃtarpya pitṛdevatāḥ

Translation

Möge die Sünde, die ich angesammelt habe, heute weichen, während ich dieses Bad vollziehe. Nachdem er nach dieser Vorschrift gebadet hat, soll er die Pitṛs und die Götter durch Opfergaben sättigen.

Word by Word

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र क्रियाविशेष्य/कर्मरूपेण (bathing)

• प्रकुर्वतः: of (me) performing
• प्रकुर्वतः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√कृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle); षष्ठी, एकवचन; पुं/नपुंसक-सम्भव; ‘(one) who is performing’

• मे: my
• मे: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• हरतु: may it remove
• हरतु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ/imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अर्जितम्: acquired/accumulated
• अर्जितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √अर्ज् (धातु) + त (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; ‘पापम्’ इति पदस्य विशेषण

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having bathed’

• अनेन: by this
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विधिना: by the method/rite
• विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• संतर्प्य: having satisfied
• संतर्प्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√तृप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययार्थे ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having satisfied (offered oblations)’

• पितृदेवताः: the ancestral deities (pitṛs)
• पितृदेवताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन; पितॄणां देवताः (manes/deities of ancestors)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (contextual attribution within Āvantya Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bather emerges from Narmadā, wrings wet cloth, then stands facing south (pitṛ direction) offering water with cupped hands; nearby, a small altar with kusa grass and sesame; subtle presence of Pitṛs and Devas receiving satisfaction.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Devatās

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is completed not only by personal bathing but by extending gratitude through offerings to gods and ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā tīrtha tradition, where snāna is paired with devatā and pitṛ rites.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

After bathing by the prescribed method, perform tarpaṇa/santarpana to Pitṛs and devatās.