Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

दुर्लभं मनुजैः पार्थ रेवातटसमाश्रितम् । प्राणिनां पापनाशाय ऊषरं पुष्करं तथा

Transliteration

durlabhaṃ manujaiḥ pārtha revātaṭasamāśritam | prāṇināṃ pāpanāśāya ūṣaraṃ puṣkaraṃ tathā

Translation

O Pārtha, schwer ist es den Menschen, dieses Glück zu erlangen, denn es liegt am Ufer der Revā. Zur Vernichtung der Sünden der Lebewesen sind dort die heiligen Wasser namens Ūṣara und auch Puṣkara.

Word by Word

• दुर्लभम्: rare/difficult to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् + लभ (कृदन्त; लभ् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण (दुर्लभ = hard to obtain)

• मनुजैः: by men/humans
• मनुजैः: Karana/Agent-in-passive (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• पार्थ: O Pārtha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• रेवातटसमाश्रितम्: situated on the bank of Revā
• रेवातटसमाश्रितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रेवा + तट + सम्-आश्रित (कृदन्त; श्रि/आश्रि धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; बहुपद-समासः (रेवायाः तटम्) इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष + समाश्रित (PPP)

• प्राणिनाम्: of living beings
• प्राणिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• पापनाशाय: for the destruction of sins
• पापनाशाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप + नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पापस्य नाशः)

• ऊषरम्: Ūṣara (a place/tīrtha)
• ऊषरम्: Karma/Enumeration (Object/list item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊषर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• पुष्करम्: Puṣkara (a place/tīrtha)
• पुष्करम्: Karma/Enumeration (Object/list item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• तथा: and also
• तथा: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/तुल्यतार्थ (and likewise/also)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kalhoḍī Tīrtha (with sub-waters Ūṣara and Puṣkara)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (addressed; likely the king in dialogue)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A map-like sacred landscape: Revā riverbank with two highlighted water-spots labeled Ūṣara and Puṣkara; pilgrims approach with reverence, underscoring the rarity of the opportunity.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Pārtha (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Ūṣara
• Puṣkara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human birth is portrayed as a rare chance to access purifying sacred sites; one should use it for sin-removal and spiritual uplift.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kalhoḍī Tīrtha on the bank of the Revā (Narmadā), along with sacred waters/places named Ūṣara and Puṣkara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied tīrtha-practice (especially snāna) for pāpa-nāśa in the Revā-bank sacred waters.