Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 128

Devanagari script

तेन पापेन दग्धोऽहं दारिद्र्यं न निवर्तते । तीर्थावगाहनं पूर्वं पापेन न कृतं मया

Transliteration

tena pāpena dagdho'haṃ dāridryaṃ na nivartate | tīrthāvagāhanaṃ pūrvaṃ pāpena na kṛtaṃ mayā

Translation

Von jener Sünde verbrannt, hört meine Armut nicht auf. Früher habe ich, aus Sündhaftigkeit, das Eintauchen in heilige Tīrthas nicht vollzogen.

Word by Word

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3), एकवचन, नपुंसक/पुं (Instrumental singular: ‘by that’)

• पापेन: by sin
• पापेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन (Neuter, Instrumental singular)

• दग्धः: burnt/tormented
• दग्धः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु) + दग्ध (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘burnt/afflicted’

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

• दारिद्र्यम्: poverty
• दारिद्र्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दारिद्र्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• निवर्तते: ceases/returns
• निवर्तते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (Present indicative, 3rd sg, Ātmanepada)

• तीर्थावगाहनम्: bathing/immersion in a sacred ford
• तीर्थावगाहनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + अवगाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थस्य अवगाहनम्) (Neuter, Nom/Acc sg)

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावप्राय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: formerly/before)

• पापेन: by sin
• पापेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• कृतम्: done
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + कृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘done’

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3), एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

Speaker

Śabara (deduced from continuity)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-avaghāhana (general)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The speaker, visibly worn by poverty, describes being ‘burned’ by sin; the sacred river is suggested as a missed refuge—glimmering in the background, just out of reach.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Avagāhana (immersion/bathing)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sin manifests as suffering, and neglect of tīrtha-based purification is portrayed as prolonging hardship; returning to dharma is the remedy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points generally to tīrtha-immersion within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s sacred Revā/Narmadā context, without naming a single ford.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-avagāhana—ritual immersion/bathing at a holy place—is implied as a corrective practice.