Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

जन्मत्रयकृतैः पापैर्मुच्यते नात्र संशयः । जलेन तिलमात्रेण प्रदद्यादञ्जलित्रयम्

Transliteration

janmatrayakṛtaiḥ pāpairmucyate nātra saṃśayaḥ | jalena tilamātreṇa pradadyādañjalitrayam

Translation

Zweifellos wird man von den Sünden befreit, die in drei Geburten angesammelt wurden. Mit Wasser, dem auch nur die Menge eines Sesamkorns beigemischt ist, soll man drei Añjali-Darbringungen spenden.

Word by Word

• जन्मत्रयकृतैः: done in three births
• जन्मत्रयकृतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन्म + त्रय + कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (जन्मत्रये कृतैः) विशेषण (पापैः)

• पापैः: by/with sins
• पापैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); बहुवचन

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• न: no/not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Scope/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/विषयवाचक

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); एकवचन

• जलेन: with water
• जलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन

• तिलमात्रेण: with a mere sesame-seed measure (a tiny amount)
• तिलमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल + मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (तिलस्य मात्रा)

• प्रदद्यāt: should offer/give
• प्रदद्यāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अञ्जलित्रयम्: three handfuls (añjali)
• अञ्जलित्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अञ्जलि + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (त्रयोऽञ्जलयः)

Speaker

Deductive (Revā-khaṇḍa narrative voice addressing a king—likely a ṛṣi/purāṇic narrator to Narādhipa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlabheda (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implicitly the same listener as surrounding verses (tapasvinī / king depending on sub-dialogue)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up ritual moment: hands cupped thrice, water with floating black sesame offered into the river; subtle radiance around the water; symbolic shadows of past sins dissolving; calm riverbank setting.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a small, sincere ancestral offering (tarpaṇa) performed properly at a sacred context is said to cleanse deep karmic burdens.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Revā-khaṇḍa framework, where sacred waters and tīrtha-based rites are praised (the immediate tīrtha is specified in nearby verses).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer three añjalis (handful-libations) of water mixed with tila (sesame) as a pitṛ-tarpaṇa style offering.