Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 140

Devanagari script

एतानि दक्षिणे तीरे रेवाया भरतर्षभ । संसेवनस्नानदानैः पापसङ्घहराणि च

Transliteration

etāni dakṣiṇe tīre revāyā bharatarṣabha | saṃsevanasnānadānaiḥ pāpasaṅghaharāṇi ca

Translation

O Stier unter den Bhāratas, diese Tīrthas liegen am Südufer der Revā; wer sie aufsucht, dort badet und Dāna spendet, dessen Sündenberge werden hinweggenommen.

Word by Word

• एतानि: these
• एतानि: Karta/Predicate Subject (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (these)

• दक्षिणे: on the southern
• दक्षिणे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'तीरे')

• तीरे: bank
• तीरे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्थान (on the bank)

• रेवायाः: of Revā (Narmadā)
• रेवायाः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (of Revā/Narmadā)

• भरतर्षभ: O bull among the Bharatas
• भरतर्षभ: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत + ऋषभ (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भरतानाम् ऋषभः) संबोधन

• संसेवनस्नानदानैः: by service, bathing, and gifts
• संसेवनस्नानदानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसेवन + स्नान + दान (प्रातिपदिक-त्रय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (संसेवनं च स्नानं च दानं च) साधन-निर्देश

• पापसङ्घहराणि: removing heaps of sins
• पापसङ्घहराणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप + सङ्घ + हर (प्रातिपदिक; हर = √हृ (धातु) से कृत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पापानां सङ्घस्य हराणि) विशेषण (एतानि)

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

Speaker

Śiva (Śaṅkara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-dakṣiṇa-tīra tīrtha-samūha (cluster on southern bank)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (addressed as Bhāratarṣabha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the southern bank of the Revā, pilgrims descend stone steps to bathe; a brāhmaṇa receives dāna; in the background small shrines mark the tīrthas; the river glows at sunrise, suggesting cleansing and renewal.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Tīrthas (listed)
• Bhārata-ṛṣabha (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage becomes transformative when paired with reverent attendance, sacred bathing, and charitable giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The cluster of tīrthas on the southern bank of the Revā (Narmadā) described in this chapter near Amareśvara/Amarkaṇṭaka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Saṃsevana (resorting to the tīrthas), snāna (bathing), and dāna (charity).