Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

अर्चितः परया भक्त्या सोमनाथो युधिष्ठिर । पपौ सुविमलं तोयं सर्वपापक्षयंकरम्

Transliteration

arcitaḥ parayā bhaktyā somanātho yudhiṣṭhira | papau suvimalaṃ toyaṃ sarvapāpakṣayaṃkaram

Translation

O Yudhiṣṭhira, nachdem er Somanātha mit höchster Hingabe verehrt hatte, trank er überaus reines Wasser — Wasser, das alle Sünden vernichtet.

Word by Word

• अर्चितः: was worshipped
• अर्चितः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अर्च् (धातु) क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (अर्चित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) used predicatively: ‘was worshipped’

• परया: with supreme
• परया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्; instrumental singular; qualifying भक्त्या

• भक्त्या: devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्; instrumental singular

• सोमनाथः: Somanātha (Lord of Soma; Śiva)
• सोमनाथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमनाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सोमस्य नाथः); nominative singular

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचनम्; vocative singular

• पपौ: drank
• पपौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पा (धातु) लिट्-लकारः (परस्मैपदम्)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; 3rd person singular perfect

• सुविमलम्: very pure
• सुविमलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + विमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयभावः (सु-विमलम्); accusative singular; qualifying तोयम्

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; accusative singular

• सर्वपापक्षयंकरम्: causing the destruction of all sins
• सर्वपापक्षयंकरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + पाप + क्षय + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां पापानां क्षयं करोति इति); accusative singular; qualifying तोयम्

Speaker

Unknown (narrator addressing Yudhiṣṭhira; likely a Purāṇic narrator in dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somanātha-tīrtha (local liṅga context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kaṇva stands before a Śiva-liṅga titled Somanātha, offering flowers and water with intense devotion; afterward he drinks crystal-clear tīrtha-water, radiant as if infused with mantra.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Somanātha (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship of Śiva (Somanātha) and reverent use of tīrtha-water are presented as powerful means for purification and removal of sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to a sacred water-source connected to Somanātha within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s tīrtha landscape (the broader Saṅgama/tīrtha setting of this adhyāya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcana (worship) with intense bhakti and the taking of tīrtha-water (drinking/ācamana) as a purificatory act.