Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

राज्ञ्युवाच । कन्दमूलफलाहारो भ्रमित्वा भैक्ष्यमुत्तमम् । अवगाह्य सुतीर्थानि सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते

Transliteration

rājñyuvāca | kandamūlaphalāhāro bhramitvā bhaikṣyamuttamam | avagāhya sutīrthāni sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate

Translation

Die Königin sprach: „Wer von Wurzeln, Knollen und Früchten lebt und umherzieht, um erlesenes Almosen zu empfangen, und in diesen höchst heiligen Furten badet, wird von allen Sünden befreit.“

Word by Word

• राज्ञी: the queen
• राज्ञी: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्ञी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person); एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• कन्दमूलफलाहारः: one whose food is roots, tubers, and fruits
• कन्दमूलफलाहारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्द + मूल + फल + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कन्द-मूल-फलानाम् आहारः)

• भ्रमित्वा: having wandered
• भ्रमित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (having wandered)

• भैक्ष्यम्: alms, food obtained by begging
• भैक्ष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative)

• उत्तमम्: excellent, best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); विशेषणम् (भैक्ष्यम्)

• अवगाह्य: having bathed/immersed
• अवगाह्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव√गाह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (having bathed/immersed)

• सुतीर्थानि: holy/fine pilgrimage places
• सुतीर्थानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; बहुवचनम्; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); समासः—कर्मधारयः (सुन्दराणि तीर्थानि)

• सर्वपापैः: from all sins
• सर्वपापैः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; बहुवचनम्; पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative); समासः—कर्मधारयः (सर्वाणि पापानि)

• प्रमुच्यते: is freed, is released
• प्रमुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present); प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person); एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive)

Speaker

Rājñī (the Queen)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Su-tīrthas of Revā (Narmadā)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śabara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A queen instructs an ascetic about living on roots and fruits, receiving alms, and bathing at luminous river fords; pilgrims descend steps into a sacred river under a bright sky.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austere living and tīrtha-snāna together are praised as a direct means for purification from sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse glorifies the ‘su-tīrthas’ of the Revā Khaṇḍa context—i.e., the sacred fords associated with the Revā/Narmadā region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing/immersion (avagāha/snāna) at holy tīrthas, supported by a life of restraint and alms.