Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अघमर्षणं त्र्यृचं तोयं यथावेदमथापि वा । उपपापैर्न लिप्येत पद्मपत्रमिवाम्भसा

Transliteration

aghamarṣaṇaṃ tryṛcaṃ toyaṃ yathāvedamathāpi vā | upapāpairna lipyeta padmapatramivāmbhasā

Translation

Qu’on accomplisse le rite d’Aghamarṣaṇa avec les trois ṛc selon l’ordonnance védique, ou même plus simplement avec de l’eau, on n’est pas souillé par les fautes légères, tel la feuille de lotus que l’eau ne mouille pas.

Word by Word

• अघमर्षणम्: the Aghamarṣaṇa (rite/mantra)
• अघमर्षणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघमर्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः अघस्य मर्षणम् (तत्पुरुष)

• त्र्यृचम्: consisting of three verses
• त्र्यृचम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + ऋच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रयः ऋचः यस्य) — ‘अघमर्षणम्’ इति विशेषण

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (अघमर्षणस्य विषय/उपकरणरूपेण)

• यथा: according to
• यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/according to)

• वेदम्: the Veda
• वेदम्: Anuyoga (Standard/प्रमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘यथा’ इत्यस्य योगे (according to the Veda)

• अथ: then/also
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/उपक्रमवाचक-अव्यय (then/and)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/सम्भावना-बोधक अव्यय (also/even)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-बोधक अव्यय (or)

• उपपापैः: by minor sins
• उपपापैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपपाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे), तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• लिप्येत: should be tainted
• लिप्येत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• पद्मपत्रम्: a lotus-leaf
• पद्मपत्रम्: Upamana (Simile-standard/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्मपत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः पद्मस्य पत्रम् (तत्पुरुष)

• इव: like
• इव: Upama-dyotaka (Simile marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक अव्यय (like/as)

• अम्भसा: by water
• अम्भसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्भस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Revā Khaṇḍa instructional tone within Āvantya Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (Aghamarṣaṇa-prayoga)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs Aghamarṣaṇa at the river: hands cupped with water, reciting three ṛcs; nearby a lotus leaf gleams, water beads rolling off, illustrating the simile of unstained purity.

Characters & Entities

• Aghamarṣaṇa
• Veda
• Padma (lotus)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular purification through Aghamarṣaṇa keeps one spiritually unstained by minor faults, like water on a lotus leaf.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is the Revā (Narmadā) sacred landscape in the Revā Khaṇḍa, where river-oriented rites are emphasized.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Aghamarṣaṇa with the three ṛk-verses using water, ideally as per Vedic procedure.