Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

स्नात्वा तत्र महातीर्थे लुठमानो व्रजेन्नरः । पापकर्मान्यतो याति धर्मकर्मा व्रजेन्नदीम्

Transliteration

snātvā tatra mahātīrthe luṭhamāno vrajennaraḥ | pāpakarmānyato yāti dharmakarmā vrajennadīm

Translation

Après s’être baigné en ce grand tīrtha, l’homme doit avancer là en se roulant par dévotion ; ses actes pécheurs s’en vont ailleurs, et il s’adonne aux œuvres du dharma ; puis qu’il se rende à la rivière.

Word by Word

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त-अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (having bathed)

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

• महातीर्थे: in the great sacred ford
• महातीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; अधिकरण (place)

• लुठमानः: rolling about
• लुठमानः: Karta (Agent qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लुठ् (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त) → लुठमान (वर्तमानकृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त, कर्तरि; कर्तृविशेषण

• व्रजेत्: should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कर्ता

• पापकर्माणि: sinful actions
• पापकर्माणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), बहुवचन; ‘पापकर्माणि’ = sinful acts

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक/तस्मात्-अर्थक-अव्यय (therefore/from this)

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present indicative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धर्मकर्मा: one engaged in righteous acts
• धर्मकर्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कर्ता (धर्मकर्मा = one whose acts are righteous)

• व्रजेत्: should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नदीम्: to the river
• नदीम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; कर्म (destination)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Purāṇic mahātmya style in Revākhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahā-tīrtha on Revā (unnamed here)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim/king as instructed audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim emerges from a sacred ford, wet hair and folded hands, then performs luṭhana (rolling/prostration) on the sandy bank; in the distance the river glitters, with other pilgrims moving in procession.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional pilgrimage—especially tīrtha-snānā—transforms the pilgrim from pāpa-oriented conduct to dharma-oriented conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A “mahātīrtha” in the Revā Khaṇḍa context—connected to the Revā/Narmadā sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing at the tīrtha and proceeding with humble devotion (luṭhana), then approaching the river.