Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 103

Devanagari script

तत्र तीर्थे नरो यावत्स्नापयेद्विधिपूर्वकम् । क्षीरेण मधुना वापि दध्ना वा शीतवारिणा

Transliteration

tatra tīrthe naro yāvatsnāpayedvidhipūrvakam | kṣīreṇa madhunā vāpi dadhnā vā śītavāriṇā

Translation

ആ തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ മനുഷ്യൻ എത്രനേരം വിധിപൂർവ്വം സ്നാനം ചെയ്യുമോ—പാലാൽ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ തേൻകൊണ്ട്, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ തൈരാൽ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ശീതളജലാൽ—അത്രനേരം പുണ്യം വർദ്ധിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative setting/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — indeclinable adverb of place

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place of pilgrimage
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Correlative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (परिमाण/कालवाचक) — indeclinable correlating adverb “as long as/so long”

• स्नापयेत्: should cause to bathe / should bathe (ritually)
• स्नापयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative) — Optative, 3rd person, Singular, causative

• विधि-पूर्वकम्: according to prescribed rule
• विधि-पूर्वकम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण — Avyayībhāva compound used adverbially

• क्षीरेण: with milk
• क्षीरेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• मधुना: with honey
• मधुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पार्थक निपात) — indeclinable disjunctive particle “or”

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ) — indeclinable particle “also/even”

• दध्ना: with curd
• दध्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्पार्थक निपात) — indeclinable disjunctive particle “or”

• शीत-वारिणा: with cold water
• शीत-वारिणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीत (प्रातिपदिक) + वारि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Karmadhāraya compound; Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

Narratorial/Instructional voice within Revākhaṇḍa (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (specific name not stated in the excerpt)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a broad river-ford performs ritual bathing with attendants holding vessels of milk, honey, curd, and cool water; the riverbank has tīrtha markers and a small shrine in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha (Revā context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual worship at a tīrtha is encouraged with sincerity and correct procedure, even using simple offerings like cool water.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The unnamed “that tīrtha” within Revākhaṇḍa (Revā/Narmadā sacred geography) is the locus.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vidhi-pūrvaka ritual bathing/ablution (snāpana) using milk, honey, curd, or cool water.