Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

पृथिव्यां सर्वतीर्थेषु स्नात्वा यल्लभते फलम् । तत्फलं लभते मर्त्यो भक्त्या स्नात्वा महेश्वर

Transliteration

pṛthivyāṃ sarvatīrtheṣu snātvā yallabhate phalam | tatphalaṃ labhate martyo bhaktyā snātvā maheśvara

Translation

Welchen Lohn ein Mensch durch das Bad in allen Tīrthas der Erde erlangt, eben diesen Lohn erlangt der Sterbliche, wenn er hier in Hingabe badet, o Maheśvara.

Word by Word

• पृथिव्याम्: on earth
• पृथिव्याम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सर्वतीर्थेषु: in all sacred fords/pilgrimage places
• सर्वतीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वतीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + तीर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• यत्: which/that (what)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मर्त्यः: a mortal
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भक्त्या: by devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• महेश्वर: O Maheśvara
• महेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; महा + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sarid (the River-goddess; Revā/Narmadā in context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (Narmadā bathing place)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee bathes in Revā while a subtle mandala-like aura shows miniature icons of many famous tīrthas (Gaṅgā, Prayāga, Puṣkara, etc.) dissolving into the single river—signifying 'all tīrtha fruits' gained here through bhakti; Śiva’s presence blesses the act.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional contact with a divinely empowered tīrtha can concentrate the merit of many pilgrimages into a single act of sincere practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā/Narmadā as a supreme tīrtha whose bath-bestowal equals all other sacred baths.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhakti-yukta snāna (devotional bathing) as the recommended practice.