Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

जन्मत्रयकृतैः पापैर्मुच्यते नात्र संशयः । जलेन तिलमात्रेण प्रदद्यादञ्जलित्रयम्

Transliteration

janmatrayakṛtaiḥ pāpairmucyate nātra saṃśayaḥ | jalena tilamātreṇa pradadyādañjalitrayam

Translation

Sans doute, on est délivré des péchés amassés en trois naissances. Avec de l’eau mêlée ne fût-ce que d’une mesure d’un grain de sésame, qu’on offre trois añjalis.

Word by Word

• जन्मत्रयकृतैः: done in three births
• जन्मत्रयकृतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन्म + त्रय + कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (जन्मत्रये कृतैः) विशेषण (पापैः)

• पापैः: by/with sins
• पापैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); बहुवचन

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• न: no/not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Scope/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/विषयवाचक

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); एकवचन

• जलेन: with water
• जलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन

• तिलमात्रेण: with a mere sesame-seed measure (a tiny amount)
• तिलमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल + मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (तिलस्य मात्रा)

• प्रदद्यāt: should offer/give
• प्रदद्यāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अञ्जलित्रयम्: three handfuls (añjali)
• अञ्जलित्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अञ्जलि + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (त्रयोऽञ्जलयः)

Speaker

Deductive (Revā-khaṇḍa narrative voice addressing a king—likely a ṛṣi/purāṇic narrator to Narādhipa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlabheda (contextual)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implicitly the same listener as surrounding verses (tapasvinī / king depending on sub-dialogue)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close-up ritual moment: hands cupped thrice, water with floating black sesame offered into the river; subtle radiance around the water; symbolic shadows of past sins dissolving; calm riverbank setting.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a small, sincere ancestral offering (tarpaṇa) performed properly at a sacred context is said to cleanse deep karmic burdens.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Revā-khaṇḍa framework, where sacred waters and tīrtha-based rites are praised (the immediate tīrtha is specified in nearby verses).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer three añjalis (handful-libations) of water mixed with tila (sesame) as a pitṛ-tarpaṇa style offering.