Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

ऋणमोचनमित्याख्यं रेवातटसमाश्रितम् । षण्मासं मनुजो भक्त्या तर्पयन् पितृदेवताः

Transliteration

ṛṇamocanamityākhyaṃ revātaṭasamāśritam | ṣaṇmāsaṃ manujo bhaktyā tarpayan pitṛdevatāḥ

Translation

“It is called Ṛṇamocana (‘the Liberator from Debts’), situated upon the bank of the Revā. For six months, a person—devoutly offering tarpaṇa—should satisfy the Pitṛ-deities (the ancestral powers).”

Word by Word

• ऋणमोचनम्: (a place called) ‘Debt-release’
• ऋणमोचनम्: Karma/Adhikarana (Appositional object/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋण (प्रातिपदिक) + मोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समास: तत्पुरुष (ऋणस्य मोचनम् = release from debt)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/नामनिर्देशार्थ अव्यय (quotative particle)

• आख्यम्: named
• आख्यम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘नाम’ अर्थे (named/called)

• रेवातटसमाश्रितम्: situated on the bank of the Revā
• रेवातटसमाश्रितम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रेवा (प्रातिपदिक) + तट (प्रातिपदिक) + समाश्रित (कृदन्त, सम्+आ+श्रि धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समास: तत्पुरुष (रेवायाः तटम्; तस्मिन् समाश्रितम् = situated on the bank); कृदन्त: क्त (past passive participle)

• षण्मासम्: for six months
• षण्मासम्: Kala-adhikarana (Duration/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समास: द्विगु (षट् मासाः = six months)

• मनुजः: a man
• मनुजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Hetu/Karana (Means/Instrument/हेतु-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• तर्पयन्: satisfying (by offerings)
• तर्पयन्: Kriya-viseshana (Participial predicate/सहायकक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle), परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; धातु: तृप् (to satisfy) causative sense in usage ‘to offer libations/satisfy’

• पितृदेवताः: the Pitṛ-deities (ancestors)
• पितृदेवताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; समास: कर्मधारय (पितर एव देवताः = the Fathers as deities)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ṛṇamocana

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahīpāla (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn on the Narmadā bank, a devotee stands waist-deep or at the water’s edge, offering tarpaṇa with cupped hands; black sesame and water stream back into the river; subtle presence of pitṛs as luminous, satisfied silhouettes; a small shrine and banyan nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Ṛṇamocana Tīrtha
• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed through sustained ancestral offerings at a sanctified riverbank is taught as a means of purification and release from burden (ṛṇa).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ṛṇamocana Tīrtha, located on the Revā/Narmadā riverbank.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Pitṛ-tarpaṇa with devotion for a six-month observance (ṣaṇmāsa).