Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 128

Devanagari script

तेन पापेन दग्धोऽहं दारिद्र्यं न निवर्तते । तीर्थावगाहनं पूर्वं पापेन न कृतं मया

Transliteration

tena pāpena dagdho'haṃ dāridryaṃ na nivartate | tīrthāvagāhanaṃ pūrvaṃ pāpena na kṛtaṃ mayā

Translation

Brûlé par ce péché, ma pauvreté ne s’apaise pas. Jadis, à cause de ma faute, je n’ai pas accompli l’immersion dans les tīrthas sacrés.

Word by Word

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3), एकवचन, नपुंसक/पुं (Instrumental singular: ‘by that’)

• पापेन: by sin
• पापेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन (Neuter, Instrumental singular)

• दग्धः: burnt/tormented
• दग्धः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु) + दग्ध (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘burnt/afflicted’

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• दारिद्र्यम्: poverty
• दारिद्र्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दारिद्र्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• निवर्तते: ceases/returns
• निवर्तते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (Present indicative, 3rd sg, Ātmanepada)

• तीर्थावगाहनम्: bathing/immersion in a sacred ford
• तीर्थावगाहनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + अवगाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थस्य अवगाहनम्) (Neuter, Nom/Acc sg)

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावप्राय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: formerly/before)

• पापेन: by sin
• पापेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• कृतम्: done
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + कृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘done’

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3), एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

Speaker

Śabara (deduced from continuity)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-avaghāhana (general)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The speaker, visibly worn by poverty, describes being ‘burned’ by sin; the sacred river is suggested as a missed refuge—glimmering in the background, just out of reach.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Avagāhana (immersion/bathing)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sin manifests as suffering, and neglect of tīrtha-based purification is portrayed as prolonging hardship; returning to dharma is the remedy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points generally to tīrtha-immersion within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s sacred Revā/Narmadā context, without naming a single ford.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-avagāhana—ritual immersion/bathing at a holy place—is implied as a corrective practice.