Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

न तीर्थैर्न च दानैश्च दुष्कृतं हि विलुप्यते । अज्ञानाच्च प्रमादाच्च कृतं पापं विनश्यति

Transliteration

na tīrthairna ca dānaiśca duṣkṛtaṃ hi vilupyate | ajñānācca pramādācca kṛtaṃ pāpaṃ vinaśyati

Translation

തീർത്ഥയാത്രയാലോ ദാനങ്ങളാലോ മാത്രം ദുഷ്കൃത്യം യഥാർത്ഥത്തിൽ മായുകയില്ല. എന്നാൽ അജ്ഞാനവും പ്രമാദവും മൂലം ചെയ്ത പാപം—വിവേകവും സംയമവും ഉണർന്നാൽ—നശിക്കാം.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• तीर्थैः: by pilgrimages/sacred places (rites)
• तीर्थैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• न: nor
• न: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction: and)

• दानैः: by gifts/charity
• दानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• दुष्कृतम्: evil deed, sin
• दुष्कृतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + कृत (कृ धातु, क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—दुष्टं कृतम् (कर्मधारय), कर्तृस्थानी (विलुप्यते इति)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थक-निपात (indeed/for)

• विलुप्यते: is erased/destroyed
• विलुप्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-लुप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive)

• अज्ञानात्: from ignorance (due to ignorance)
• अज्ञानात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ- (निषेध) + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; हेतौ पञ्चमी (ablative of cause)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• प्रमादात्: from negligence (due to carelessness)
• प्रमादात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; हेतौ पञ्चमी

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• कृतम्: done, committed
• कृतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ धातु, क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः, विशेषणम् (पापम्)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृपदम् (विनश्यति)

• विनश्यति: perishes
• विनश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Nandī (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (general)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands between two paths: one labeled ‘tīrtha-dāna only’ leading to a loop back into darkness; the other labeled ‘jñāna + saṃyama’ leading to light. River water reflects a clear mind as the pilgrim drops a weapon/vice into the river and takes a vow of restraint.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage and charity are not substitutes for moral reform; deliberate wrongdoing is not cancelled by external piety.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching appears in the Revā Khaṇḍa (Narmadā context), framing tīrtha-benefit as dependent on ethical intent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-yātrā and dāna are mentioned, but the prescription is implicit: use them with repentance and correction, not as a cover for intentional sin.