Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डं धौतपापं च तीर्थमाङ्गिरसेश्वरम् । कोटवीसङ्गमः पुण्यं कोटितीर्थं च तत्र वै

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍaṃ dhautapāpaṃ ca tīrthamāṅgiraseśvaram | koṭavīsaṅgamaḥ puṇyaṃ koṭitīrthaṃ ca tatra vai

Translation

(On y trouve) Mārkaṇḍa et Dhauta-pāpa, ainsi que le tīrtha d’Āṅgiraseśvara. Sainte est la confluence de Koṭavī ; et là, certes, se trouve aussi Koṭi-tīrtha.

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डम्: Mārkaṇḍa (tīrtha/place-name)
• मार्कण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धौतपापम्: (where) sins are washed away
• धौतपापम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धौत (कृदन्त; √धौ (धातु), क्त) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (धौतं पापं यस्मात्/यत्र)

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

• तीर्थम्: tīrtha, sacred ford
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आङ्गिरसेश्वरम्: Āṅgiraseśvara
• आङ्गिरसेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आङ्गिरस (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (आङ्गिरसस्य ईश्वरः)

• कोटवीसङ्गमः: the confluence at Koṭavī
• कोटवीसङ्गमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटवी (प्रातिपदिक) + सङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कोटव्याः सङ्गमः)

• पुण्यम्: holy, meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा—विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• कोटितीर्थम्: Koṭi-tīrtha
• कोटितीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कोटीनां तीर्थम् / कोटि-नामकं तीर्थम्)

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

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

• वै: indeed
• वै: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Revā Khaṇḍa pilgrimage narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mārkaṇḍa; Dhauta-pāpa; Āṅgiraseśvara-tīrtha; Koṭavī-saṅgama; Koṭi-tīrtha

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two rivers meeting: the Koṭavī stream merging into the Narmadā; a small shrine of Āṅgiraseśvara nearby; a sage-figure (Mārkaṇḍeya) blessing pilgrims; a signboard-like depiction of Dhauta-pāpa and Koṭi-tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍa
• Dhauta-pāpa
• Āṅgiraseśvara
• Koṭavī-saṅgama
• Koṭi-tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas are celebrated as ‘sin-washing’ (dhauta-pāpa) and merit-producing (puṇya), especially at confluences—purification is both spiritual intent and sacred-place grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhauta-pāpa tīrtha, Āṅgiraseśvara, the Koṭavī confluence, and Koṭi-tīrtha are emphasized, alongside Mārkaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription is stated; however, the naming ‘Dhauta-pāpa’ implies the customary tīrtha acts of snāna (ritual bathing) and devotion for purification.