Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

श्रुतिस्मृत्युदितान्येव तत्र स्नात्वा द्विजर्षभाः । प्रायश्चित्तानि कुर्वन्ति तेषां वासस्त्रिविष्टपे

Transliteration

śrutismṛtyuditānyeva tatra snātvā dvijarṣabhāḥ | prāyaścittāni kurvanti teṣāṃ vāsastriviṣṭape

Translation

Oh el mejor de los brahmanes, tras bañarse allí, realizan las prāyaścitta enseñadas en Śruti y Smṛti; y para ellos hay morada en Triviṣṭapa, el cielo.

Word by Word

• श्रुति: Śruti (Veda)
• श्रुति: Samasa-purvapada (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपदम्

• स्मृति: Smṛti (tradition)
• स्मृति: Samasa-purvapada (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपदम्

• उदितानि: enjoined (as stated)
• उदितानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्-इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle) ‘उदित’, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘प्रायश्चित्तानि’ इति विशेषणम् (enjoined/declared)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Nipata (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात

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

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• द्विजर्षभाः: best of the twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजर्षभाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-ऋषभ (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज + ऋषभ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (द्विजानां ऋषभाः = श्रेष्ठा द्विजाः)

• प्रायश्चित्तानि: expiations
• प्रायश्चित्तानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• कुर्वन्ति: perform
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• वासः: dwelling/abode
• वासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• त्रिविष्टपे: in heaven (Triviṣṭapa)
• त्रिविष्टपे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिविष्टप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from adhyāya-context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahma-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahīpāla (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmins and householders bathe at the ghāṭa, then sit in orderly rows performing prescribed expiations—japa, offerings, and vows—while a celestial vista hints at Triviṣṭapa.

Characters & Entities

• Śruti
• Smṛti
• Triviṣṭapa
• Brahmatīrtha (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-snānā strengthens Dharma when aligned with Śruti–Smṛti injunctions, leading to auspicious posthumous states.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse refers to the same praised location in this chapter—Brahmatīrtha in the Revā-khaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe at the tīrtha and perform prāyaścitta as taught in Śruti and Smṛti.