Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 109

Devanagari script

दरितध्वान्तशमनीधार्या धर्मार्थिभिः सदा । अहोरात्रकृतं पापं सकृज्जप्त्वाशु नाशयेत्

Transliteration

daritadhvāntaśamanīdhāryā dharmārthibhiḥ sadā | ahorātrakṛtaṃ pāpaṃ sakṛjjaptvāśu nāśayet

Translation

Es soll von den nach Dharma Strebenden stets bewahrt werden, denn es vertreibt die zersplitterte Finsternis; wer es nur einmal rezitiert, vernichtet rasch die Sünde, die bei Tag und Nacht begangen wurde.

Word by Word

• दरित-ध्वान्त-शमनी-धार्या: to be held/recited; remover of the torn/destroyed darkness
• दरित-ध्वान्त-शमनी-धार्या: Visheshana (Adjectival predicate/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दरित (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वान्त (प्रातिपदिक) + शमनी (प्रातिपदिक) + √धृ (धातु) → धार्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘धार्या’ = धर्तव्या (कर्तव्यतार्थे, कृदन्त—यत्/ण्यत् भावः); समासः—दरितं ध्वान्तं (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष) + तस्य शमनी (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + (सा) धार्या (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• धर्म-अर्थिभिः: by seekers of dharma
• धर्म-अर्थिभिः: Karana (Agent-instrument/कर्ता-समूहः; here: by seekers)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—धर्मम् अर्थयते इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष) ‘धर्मार्थिन्’

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal setting/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• अहोरात्र-कृतम्: done over day and night
• अहोरात्र-कृतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of object/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अहोरात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + √कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त) ‘कृतम्’; समासः—अहोरात्रेण कृतम् (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

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

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Kala/Parimana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; संख्यावाचक/परिमाणवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (once)

• जप्त्वा: having recited
• जप्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जप् (धातु) → जप्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having recited)

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• नाशयेत्: should destroy
• नाशयेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नश् (धातु) caus. नाशय (णिच्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त causative

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tīrthāvalī (list/praise of tīrthas) of Revākhaṇḍa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee holds a palm-leaf manuscript or rosary at dawn; a halo-like light breaks through darkness as the ‘tīrthāvalī’ is chanted; shadows retreat symbolizing sin and ignorance dissolving.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Tīrtha-sūkta (implied)
• Japa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma emphasizes accessible purification: sincere recitation (japa) and steadfast practice can rapidly remove daily accumulated sin and inner darkness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse primarily glorifies the efficacy of the tīrtha-related recitation/utterance (tīrtha-sūkta) within the Revā Khaṇḍa context rather than naming one site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa is prescribed: reciting it even once (sakṛt-japa) is said to quickly destroy sins accrued over a day and night.