Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

शुक्लतीर्थं महापुण्यं सम्प्राप्तं कल्मषक्षयात् । योऽत्र दत्ते शुचिर्भूत्वा एकं रेवाजलाञ्जलिम्

Transliteration

śuklatīrthaṃ mahāpuṇyaṃ samprāptaṃ kalmaṣakṣayāt | yo'tra datte śucirbhūtvā ekaṃ revājalāñjalim

Translation

ശുക്ലതീർത്ഥം മഹാപുണ്യകരം, പാപക്ഷയകാരകം. ആരെങ്കിലും ഇവിടെ ശുചിയായി റേവാജലത്തിന്റെ ഒരു അഞ്ജലി പോലും അർപ്പിച്ചാൽ—

Word by Word

• शुक्लतीर्थम्: Śukla-tīrtha
• शुक्लतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• महापुण्यम्: greatly meritorious
• महापुण्यम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (शुक्लतीर्थम्); कर्मधारय (महৎ पुण्यम्)

• सम्प्राप्तम्: attained
• सम्प्राप्तम्: Karma (Object-predicate/कर्म-विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + √प्राप् (धातु; कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘attained/reached’ used predicatively of तीर्थम्

• कल्मषक्षयात्: from the destruction of sin
• कल्मषक्षयात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्मष + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन = ablative singular; हेतु-अर्थे ‘from/through the destruction of sin’; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कल्मषस्य क्षयः)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) = ‘here/in this place’

• दत्ते: gives/offers
• दत्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• शुचिः: pure
• शुचिः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (यः)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √भू (धातु; कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) = ‘having become’

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Karma (Object-quantifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; संख्याविशेषणम् (अञ्जलिम्)

• रेवाजलाञ्जलिम्: a handful (añjali) of Reva’s water
• रेवाजलाञ्जलिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेवा + जल + अञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष (रेवायाः जलस्य अञ्जलिः = handful of Reva-water)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śuklatīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands knee-deep at a quiet ghat, hands cupped in añjali holding Narmadā water; a faint white aura surrounds the spot; the atmosphere is pure and focused, with minimal ritual paraphernalia.

Characters & Entities

• Śuklatīrtha
• Revā (Narmadā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a small act performed with purity at a great tīrtha yields vast merit and destroys sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śuklatīrtha on the Revā/Narmadā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

To become śuci (ritually/mentally pure) and offer a single añjali (cupped handful) of Narmadā water.