Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

सर्वेषामेव स्नानानां भस्मस्नानं परं स्मृतम् । पुराणैरृषिभिः प्रोक्तं सर्वशास्त्रेष्वनुत्तमम्

Transliteration

sarveṣāmeva snānānāṃ bhasmasnānaṃ paraṃ smṛtam | purāṇairṛṣibhiḥ proktaṃ sarvaśāstreṣvanuttamam

Translation

Parmi toutes les ablutions, le bain de cendre (bhasma-snānā) est tenu pour le plus élevé; enseigné par les Purāṇa et les ṛṣi, et sans égal dans tous les śāstra.

Word by Word

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — Genitive plural (of all)

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — particle (only/indeed)

• स्नानानाम्: of baths
• स्नानानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — Neuter, Genitive plural

• भस्मस्नानम्: bath with ash (ash-bath)
• भस्मस्नानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्म (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular; तत्पुरुष (भस्मना स्नानम्)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular

• स्मृतम्: is regarded (as)
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Past passive participle, Neuter singular (is considered/remembered)

• पुराणैः: by the Purāṇas
• पुराणैः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental plural

• ऋषिभिः: by sages
• ऋषिभिः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental plural

• प्रोक्तम्: declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Past passive participle, Neuter singular (spoken/declared)

• सर्वशास्त्रेषु: in all scriptures
• सर्वशास्त्रेषु: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन — Neuter, Locative plural; कर्मधारय (सर्वाणि शास्त्राणि)

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed, best
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teaching scene: a sage cites Purāṇic authority, holding a palm-leaf manuscript, while a devotee prepares vibhūti for an ash-bath near a Śiva shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Bhasma-snānā
• Purāṇas
• Ṛṣis
• Śāstra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity is framed not only as physical cleanliness but as a sacred, scripture-endorsed discipline centered on Śaiva bhasma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Bhūtīśvara tīrtha context, though the claim is generalized to all snānas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhasma-snānā—ritual bathing/anointing with sacred ash—as a superior form of snāna.