Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तत्र तीर्थे तु यः स्नात्वा पूजयेद्धरणीधरम् । गन्धमाल्यविशेषैश्च जयशब्दादिमङ्गलैः

Transliteration

tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ snātvā pūjayeddharaṇīdharam | gandhamālyaviśeṣaiśca jayaśabdādimaṅgalaiḥ

Translation

Quien se bañe en ese tīrtha y adore al Portador de la Tierra (Vārāha), con fragancias escogidas y guirnaldas, y con auspiciosas aclamaciones que comienzan con gritos de victoria—

Word by Word

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

• तीर्थे: in/at the sacred place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/स्थान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive) — ‘having bathed’

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• धरणी-धरम्: the bearer of the earth (Viṣṇu as Varāha)
• धरणी-धरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धरण्याः धरः)

• गन्ध-माल्य-विशेषैः: with special fragrances and garlands
• गन्ध-माल्य-विशेषैः: Karana (करण/साधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + माल्य (प्रातिपदिक) + विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (गन्धाश्च माल्यानि च, तेषां विशेषाः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• जय-शब्द-आदि-मङ्गलैः: with auspicious acts such as cries of victory
• जय-शब्द-आदि-मङ्गलैः: Karana (करण/साधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय (प्रातिपदिक) + शब्द (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + मङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (जयशब्दादीनि मङ्गलानि)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vārāha-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājendra / nṛpa-sattama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims emerge from the Narmadā after snāna, wet hair and simple cloth, approaching a Varāha shrine; they offer garlands and sandal paste while chanting ‘jaya’ and other maṅgala words.

Characters & Entities

• Vārāha (Dharaṇīdhara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification (snāna) followed by reverent worship with auspicious speech is presented as the complete tīrtha practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vārāha Tīrtha on the Narmadā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at the tīrtha, then Vārāha pūjā with fragrances, garlands, and auspicious victory acclamations.