Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

राज्ञ्युवाच । कन्दमूलफलाहारो भ्रमित्वा भैक्ष्यमुत्तमम् । अवगाह्य सुतीर्थानि सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते

Transliteration

rājñyuvāca | kandamūlaphalāhāro bhramitvā bhaikṣyamuttamam | avagāhya sutīrthāni sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate

Translation

La reine dit : «Se nourrissant de racines, de tubercules et de fruits, et allant de lieu en lieu pour recevoir une aumône excellente, celui qui se baigne en ces gués très saints est délivré de tous les péchés.»

Word by Word

• राज्ञी: the queen
• राज्ञी: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्ञी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person); एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• कन्दमूलफलाहारः: one whose food is roots, tubers, and fruits
• कन्दमूलफलाहारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्द + मूल + फल + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कन्द-मूल-फलानाम् आहारः)

• भ्रमित्वा: having wandered
• भ्रमित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (having wandered)

• भैक्ष्यम्: alms, food obtained by begging
• भैक्ष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative)

• उत्तमम्: excellent, best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; एकवचनम्; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); विशेषणम् (भैक्ष्यम्)

• अवगाह्य: having bathed/immersed
• अवगाह्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव√गाह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (having bathed/immersed)

• सुतीर्थानि: holy/fine pilgrimage places
• सुतीर्थानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; बहुवचनम्; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); समासः—कर्मधारयः (सुन्दराणि तीर्थानि)

• सर्वपापैः: from all sins
• सर्वपापैः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्; बहुवचनम्; पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative); समासः—कर्मधारयः (सर्वाणि पापानि)

• प्रमुच्यते: is freed, is released
• प्रमुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present); प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person); एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive)

Speaker

Rājñī (the Queen)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Su-tīrthas of Revā (Narmadā)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śabara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A queen instructs an ascetic about living on roots and fruits, receiving alms, and bathing at luminous river fords; pilgrims descend steps into a sacred river under a bright sky.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austere living and tīrtha-snāna together are praised as a direct means for purification from sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse glorifies the ‘su-tīrthas’ of the Revā Khaṇḍa context—i.e., the sacred fords associated with the Revā/Narmadā region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing/immersion (avagāha/snāna) at holy tīrthas, supported by a life of restraint and alms.