Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 147

Devanagari script

यैस्तु वाहैर्गतस्तीर्थं स्नातोऽहं स्नापयामि तान् । तत्र मध्यस्थितः स्नातस्तिर्यक्त्वान्निर्गतो वणिक्

Transliteration

yaistu vāhairgatastīrthaṃ snāto'haṃ snāpayāmi tān | tatra madhyasthitaḥ snātastiryaktvānnirgato vaṇik

Translation

„Mit welchen Reittieren ich das Tīrtha erreicht und gebadet habe, eben diese Reittiere bade ich ebenfalls.“ Nachdem er dort, inmitten der Strömung stehend, gebadet hatte, trat ein Kaufmann hervor — befreit von einer tierischen Geburt.

Word by Word

• यैः: by which/with which
• यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय (particle)

• वाहैः: by the mounts/vehicles
• वाहैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण

• गतः: gone
• गतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गत (कृदन्त; √गम् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• तीर्थम्: to the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• स्नातः: bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्नात (कृदन्त; √स्ना धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• स्नापयामि: I cause to bathe / I bathe
• स्नापयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु) (णिच्)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• तान्: those (them)
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; कर्म

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

• मध्यस्थितः: standing in the middle
• मध्यस्थितः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्य + स्थित (कृदन्त; √स्था धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषण

• स्नातः: bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्नात (कृदन्त; √स्ना धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• तिर्यक्त्वात्: from being an animal (animal-state)
• तिर्यक्त्वात्: Apadana (Source/अपा दान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिर्यक्त्व (प्रातिपदिक; तिर्यक् + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अपादान (ablative)

• निर्गतः: having come out; freed
• निर्गतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्गत (कृदन्त; नि: + √गम् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• वणिक्: a merchant
• वणिक्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वणिज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; हलन्त-प्रातिपदिक (वणिक्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; narrative of a tīrtha miracle/result)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-tīrtha (midstream snāna)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands in the river’s midstream performing snāna; nearby, elephants/horses are washed. A wondrous moment: a merchant emerges, symbolically freed from animal-birth bondage—shown as a human figure rising with radiant aura.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Merchant (Vaṇik)
• Tiryak-yoni (animal birth)
• Snāna
• Vāhana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-bathing can transform destiny; compassion and responsibility extend even to the animals that serve one’s pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Revā/Narmadā tīrtha (within the Bhāreśvara-oriented Adhyāya 209 context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at the tīrtha, including bathing one’s mounts/animals that enabled the journey.