Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

पुण्यं च रमणीयं च सर्वपापविनाशनम् । कृत्वाहमास्पदं तत्र द्विजसंघसमायुतः

Transliteration

puṇyaṃ ca ramaṇīyaṃ ca sarvapāpavināśanam | kṛtvāhamāspadaṃ tatra dvijasaṃghasamāyutaḥ

Translation

Là, j’établis ma demeure en un lieu saint et charmant, destructeur de tous les péchés, avec l’assemblée des dvijas.

Word by Word

• पुण्यम्: holy/meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• रमणीयम्: delightful/beautiful
• रमणीयम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रमणीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• सर्व-पाप-विनाशनम्: destroyer of all sins
• सर्व-पाप-विनाशनम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + विनाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां पापानां विनाशनम्) विशेषण

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक; धातु: कृ (to do/make)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आस्पदम्: abode/dwelling-place
• आस्पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आस्पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• द्विज-संघ-समायुतः: accompanied by a group of brāhmaṇas
• द्विज-संघ-समायुतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + संघ (प्रातिपदिक) + समायुत (प्रातिपदिक/क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषार्थ/सह-भाव (द्विजसंघेन समायुतः = accompanied by an assembly of twice-born) विशेषण

Speaker

Markaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Narmadā-tīra āśrama-sthāna

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ‘mahābhāga’ interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An āśrama is founded on a verdant Narmadā bank: thatched huts, yajña-śālā, smoke from agnihotra, groups of dvijas seated in recitation; the river glitters nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Markaṇḍeya
• Narmadā (context)
• Dvija-saṅgha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is characterized by its sanctity and power to dissolve sin, and by the presence of dharmic communities who uphold it.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A particularly holy, beautiful, sin-destroying spot on/near the Narmadā is described, serving as the setting for the tīrtha’s fuller account.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse highlights choosing a puṇya-sthāna and establishing a dharmic residence/āśrama there.