Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

स्नपनं देवदेवस्य दध्ना मधुघृतेन वा । यः करोति विधानेन तस्य पुण्यफलं शृणु

Transliteration

snapanaṃ devadevasya dadhnā madhughṛtena vā | yaḥ karoti vidhānena tasya puṇyaphalaṃ śṛṇu

Translation

Écoute le fruit méritoire de celui qui, selon la règle, accomplit le bain rituel (abhiṣeka) du Dieu des dieux avec du caillé, ou avec du miel et du ghee.

Word by Word

• स्नपनम्: bathing/ablution
• स्नपनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नपन (प्रातिपदिक; √स्ना ‘to bathe’ से भाव/करण-नाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देवदेवस्य: of the God of gods
• देवदेवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (देवानां देवः)

• दध्ना: with curd
• दध्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मधुघृतेन: with honey and ghee
• मधुघृतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक) + घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (मधु च घृतं च)

• वा: or
• वा: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• करोति: does
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• विधानेन: according to rule/ritual procedure
• विधानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुण्यफलम्: meritorious fruit/result
• पुण्यफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावः (पुण्यं फलम्)

• शृणु: hear
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced: Āvantya Khaṇḍa narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (Narmadā tīrthas)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Priests prepare three vessels—curd, honey, and ghee—before bathing the liṅga; a listener sits respectfully as the narrator says ‘śṛṇu’ (hear).

Characters & Entities

• Deva-deva (Śiva)
• Abhiṣeka (snapana)
• Dadhi
• Madhu
• Ghṛta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Properly performed ritual devotion (vidhi-yukta pūjā) is celebrated as a powerful generator of puṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Saṅgameśvara confluence shrine context continues; the ritual is framed within that tīrtha’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva snapana/abhiṣeka using curd, or honey and ghee, performed according to prescribed rules.