Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

अलिकोवाच । यदि तुष्टोऽसि देवेश वरार्हा यद्यहं मता । नानापापाग्नितप्ताया देहि शुद्धिं परां मम

Transliteration

alikovāca | yadi tuṣṭo'si deveśa varārhā yadyahaṃ matā | nānāpāpāgnitaptāyā dehi śuddhiṃ parāṃ mama

Translation

Alikā sprach: „Wenn du zufrieden bist, o Herr der Götter, und wenn du mich einer Gabe für würdig erachtest, dann gewähre mir die höchste Reinigung – mir, die ich vom Feuer vieler Sünden verbrannt bin.“

Word by Word

• alikā: Alikā
• alikā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: alikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तसूचक अव्यय (conditional particle)

• tuṣṭaḥ: pleased
• tuṣṭaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tuṣṭa (कृदन्त; √tuṣ)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• asi: are
• asi: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• deveśa: O Lord of gods
• deveśa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deveśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• vara-arhā: worthy of a boon
• vara-arhā: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक) + arhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (vara-ārhā = worthy of a boon)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तसूचक अव्यय (conditional particle)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुषवाचक सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• matā: considered (as)
• matā: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mata (कृदन्त; √man)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• nānā-pāpa-agni-taptāyāḥ: of me, scorched by the fire of many sins
• nānā-pāpa-agni-taptāyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier of mama/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nānā (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + agni (प्रातिपदिक) + taptā (कृदन्त; √tap)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासार्थः—‘नानाविध-पाप-अग्निना तप्ता’ (burnt by the fire of many sins)

• dehi: give
• dehi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• śuddhim: purity, purification
• śuddhim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• parām: supreme, highest
• parām: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of śuddhim/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• mama: for me / of me
• mama: Sampradāna/Sambandha (Recipient/possessor marker)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुषवाचक सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Alikā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) context

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Alikā, visibly emaciated from austerity, speaks with folded hands and tearful eyes, asking Śiva for supreme purification from accumulated sins; Śiva listens compassionately.

Characters & Entities

• Alikā
• Deveśa (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True devotion includes humility and the honest desire for inner cleansing rather than worldly gain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to the Revā/Narmadā sacred circuit, emphasizing purification as its spiritual hallmark.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A direct prayer for parā-śuddhi (supreme purification) as the fruit of tapas and divine favor.