Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तत्र तीर्थे तु यः स्नायादाचम्य विधिपूर्वकम् । कृतजाप्यो रविं ध्यायेत्तस्य पुण्यफलं शृणु

Transliteration

tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ snāyādācamya vidhipūrvakam | kṛtajāpyo raviṃ dhyāyettasya puṇyaphalaṃ śṛṇu

Translation

ആ തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ ആരെങ്കിലും സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് വിധിപൂർവ്വം ആചമനം നടത്തി, ജപം പൂർത്തിയാക്കി രവി (സൂര്യൻ)നെ ധ്യാനിച്ചാൽ—അവന്റെ പുണ്യഫലം കേൾക്കുക।

Word by Word

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

• तीर्थे: at the tīrtha
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle) — emphasis

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — सम्बन्धवाचक

• स्नायात्: should bathe
• स्नायात्: Kriya (Injunction/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• आचम्य: having performed ācamana
• आचम्य: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव — 'having sipped (water) for purification'

• विधिपूर्वकम्: according to proper procedure
• विधिपूर्वकम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विधि-पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोग (adverbial accusative), एकवचन — तत्पुरुष: विधिना पूर्वकम् ('according to rule')

• कृतजाप्यः: having completed the prescribed japa
• कृतजाप्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत-जाप्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — तत्पुरुष: कृतं जाप्यं येन (japa performed); विशेषण (qualifying yaḥ)

• रविम्: the Sun
• रविम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ध्यायेत्: should meditate upon
• ध्यायेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तस्य: of him/of that (person)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (masc/neut), षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• पुण्यफलम्: the meritorious result
• पुण्यफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य-फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — तत्पुरुष: पुण्यस्य फलम्

• शृणु: hear (listen)
• शृणु: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/लोट्), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somatīrtha

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn by the river, a pilgrim emerges from snāna, performs ācamana with cupped hands, sits on kuśa grass for japa, then gazes toward the rising Sun in meditation.

Characters & Entities

• Somatīrtha
• Ravi (Sūrya)
• Ācamana
• Japa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is perfected through disciplined ritual—purification (snāna), sanctification (ācamana), mantra (japa), and focused devotion (dhyāna).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Somatīrtha, within the Revākhaṇḍa’s sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe at the tīrtha, perform ācamana properly, complete japa, and meditate on Ravi (Sūrya).