Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

स्नात्वा समर्चय त्वं हि विधिना मन्त्रपूर्वकम् । ततोऽहं सहसा तस्मात्समुत्तीर्य जलाशयात्

Transliteration

snātvā samarcaya tvaṃ hi vidhinā mantrapūrvakam | tato'haṃ sahasā tasmātsamuttīrya jalāśayāt

Translation

„Nachdem du gebadet hast, sollst du den Herrn ordnungsgemäß verehren, nach der vorgeschriebenen Ritusordnung und mit Mantras. Dann stieg ich sogleich aus jenem Wasserbecken empor und gelangte ans Ufer.“

Word by Word

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• समर्चय: worship (properly)
• समर्चय: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/हेतुवाचक निपात

• विधिना: by the prescribed method
• विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• मन्त्र: mantra
• मन्त्र: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• पूर्वकम्: preceded by (with)
• पूर्वकम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः: मन्त्र-पूर्वक (तत्पुरुष)

• ततः: then/from there
• ततः: Apadana (Ablative sense/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/ततः इत्यर्थे अपादानवाचक

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

• सहसा: suddenly
• सहसा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (आकस्मिकत्वे)

• तस्मात्: from that (place)
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• समुत्तीर्य: having come out/ascended
• समुत्तीर्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उत्-तॄ (धातु) + ल्यप्
• Form: ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• जलाशयात्: from the water-reservoir
• जलाशयात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + आशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; समासः: जल-आशय (तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced from immediate narrative context; explicit in Adhyāya 9 opening)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrtha / associated jalāśaya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Instruction is given: ‘Bathe first, then worship properly with mantras.’ Immediately after, the narrator/devotee emerges from a water-reservoir and steps onto the bank, ready for worship.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (implied: Maheśvara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification through bathing should culminate in disciplined, mantra-based worship—outer cleansing supporting inner devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā sacred region (Revā Khaṇḍa context), where bathing and Śiva-worship are praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) followed by proper pūjā performed according to vidhi and accompanied by mantra-recitation.