Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

आश्विनस्य विशेषेण कथितं तव पाण्डव । स्नापयेत्परया भक्त्या क्षीरेण मधुना सह

Transliteration

āśvinasya viśeṣeṇa kathitaṃ tava pāṇḍava | snāpayetparayā bhaktyā kṣīreṇa madhunā saha

Translation

O Pāṇḍava, ich habe dir die besondere Heiligkeit des Monats Āśvina dargelegt. In jener Zeit soll man den Herrn in höchster Hingabe baden (abhiṣeka), mit Milch zusammen mit Honig.

Word by Word

• आश्विनस्य: of Āśvina (month)
• आश्विनस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्विन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — genitive

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — instrumental (manner)

• कथितम्: has been told
• कथितम्: Kriya (Predicate participle/कृदन्त-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘(it is) said/told’

• तव: to you/your
• तव: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन — genitive pronoun

• पाण्डव: O Pāṇḍava
• पाण्डव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन — vocative

• स्नापयेत्: should bathe (the deity)
• स्नापयेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) [णिच् causative]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोगः — should cause to bathe (should bathe)

• परया: supreme
• परया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — qualifying ‘भक्त्या’

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — instrumental (means/manner)

• क्षीरेण: with milk
• क्षीरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• मधुना: with honey
• मधुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sambandha (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सहार्थक) — postposition ‘with’ (governs instrumental)

Speaker

Vyāsa (to a Pāṇḍava, i.e., Arjuna/Partha)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Āśvina-viśeṣa (month sanctity) within Revā-khaṇḍa practice

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍava

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee pours a stream of milk and honey over a Śiva-liṅga while priests chant; Āśvina atmosphere with clear skies and festive temple decor.

Characters & Entities

• Āśvina
• Pāṇḍava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion (bhakti) expressed through simple, pure offerings becomes especially meritorious when aligned with sacred time (Āśvina).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is the Revā-kṣetra (Narmadā region) praised in the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-abhiṣeka (snāpana) using milk mixed with honey, performed with intense devotion.