Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

वैष्णवीमिति मां मत्वा जनः सर्वाप्लुतो मयि । ये वै ब्रह्मणो लोके ये च वै गुरुतल्पगाः

Transliteration

vaiṣṇavīmiti māṃ matvā janaḥ sarvāpluto mayi | ye vai brahmaṇo loke ye ca vai gurutalpagāḥ

Translation

Me tenant pour « Vaiṣṇavī », tous les hommes s’immergent en moi — même ceux qui, en ce monde, ont tué un brāhmane, et ceux qui ont souillé la couche du maître spirituel.

Word by Word

• वैष्णवीम्: (as) Vaiṣṇavī
• वैष्णवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैष्णवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्ति-निपात (quotative particle)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मत्वा: having thought/considered
• मत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• जनः: people
• जनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्व-आप्लुतः: wholly immersed
• सर्व-आप्लुतः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आप्लुत (कृदन्त; आ-प्लु-धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (जनः)

• मयि: in me
• मयि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā/of Brahman
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• गुरु-तल्प-गाः: those who violate the guru’s bed
• गुरु-तल्प-गाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + तल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (कृदन्त; गम्-धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘गुरुतल्पग’ = गुरोः तल्पं गच्छति इति (one who goes to the teacher’s bed; i.e., violator)

Speaker

Gaṅgā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Vaiṣṇavī)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viṣṇu

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Crowds immerse in Gaṅgā with folded hands; the river appears as a radiant goddess; dark stains/smoke-like motifs of sin dissolve into light as they bathe.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Viṣṇu (implied by ‘Vaiṣṇavī’)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faith in the sanctity of a tirtha and immersion in sacred waters is portrayed as a powerful means of purification, even for grave sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā as a supreme tirtha is glorified (within the Revā Khaṇḍa narration), emphasizing her Vaiṣṇava sanctity and purificatory power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna/immersion (āplava) in the sacred river is implied as an act of purification (prāyaścitta).