Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

पातालगंगा यत्रास्तिं सर्वपापहरा शिवा । तत्र स्नात्वा ददौ स्कंदः कृपयाभिपरिप्लुतः

Transliteration

pātālagaṃgā yatrāstiṃ sarvapāpaharā śivā | tatra snātvā dadau skaṃdaḥ kṛpayābhipariplutaḥ

Translation

Dort, wo die heilige Pātāla-Gaṅgā fließt—Śivā selbst, die alle Sünden hinweg nimmt—badete Skanda; und von Mitgefühl durchströmt, brachte er heilige Gaben der Wohltätigkeit dar.

Word by Word

• पाताल-गङ्गा: Pātāla-Gaṅgā (the netherworld Ganges)
• पाताल-गङ्गा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक) + गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (nominative) एकवचनम्; समासः: तत्पुरुषः (पाताले गङ्गा = the subterranean Ganges)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-सम्बन्धबोधकः (relative adverb)

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः; परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्; धातुः: √अस् (to be)

• सर्व-पाप-हरा: removing all sins
• सर्व-पाप-हरा: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + हर (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक from √हृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (nominative) एकवचनम्; समासः: तत्पुरुषः (सर्वाणि पापानि हरति इति = remover of all sins)

• शिवा: auspicious, holy
• शिवा: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (nominative) एकवचनम् (गङ्गा-विशेषणम्)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम्

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्तम् (gerund); धातुः: √स्ना (to bathe)

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (perfect); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्; धातुः: √दा (to give)

• स्कन्दः: Skanda
• स्कन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (nominative) एकवचनम्

• कृपया: with compassion
• कृपया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृपा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (instrumental) एकवचनम्

• अभि-परि-प्लुतः: overwhelmed (pervaded)
• अभि-परि-प्लुतः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि + परि + प्लु (धातु) + क्त
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (nominative) एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP) from √प्लु ‘to float/overflow’; उपसर्गौ: अभि-, परि-; अर्थः: ‘flooded/overwhelmed’ (with compassion)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced, Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative mode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pātāla-Gaṅgā

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred spring/stream labeled Pātāla-Gaṅgā emerges from rock or a hidden cleft; Skanda bathes with reverence, then distributes gifts with compassionate gaze.

Characters & Entities

• Pātāla-Gaṅgā
• Śivā
• Skanda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred bathing at a Śaiva tīrtha purifies sins, and true devotion naturally expresses itself through compassionate giving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pātāla-Gaṅgā, praised as a sin-destroying sacred stream associated with Śiva/Śivā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at the tīrtha, followed by dāna/offerings as an act of dharma.