Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

अर्धयोजनविस्तारं तदर्द्धेनैव चायतम् । शुक्लतीर्थं महापुण्यं महापातकनाशनम्

Transliteration

ardhayojanavistāraṃ tadarddhenaiva cāyatam | śuklatīrthaṃ mahāpuṇyaṃ mahāpātakanāśanam

Translation

ശുക്ലതീർത്ഥത്തിന്റെ വിസ്താരം അർദ്ധയോജനമാണ്; അതിന്റെ നീളം അതിന്റെ പകുതിമാത്രം. ഇത് മഹാപുണ്യപ്രദവും മഹാപാതകനാശകവും ആകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अर्धयोजनविस्तारम्: (having) a breadth of half a yojana
• अर्धयोजनविस्तारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + योजन (प्रातिपदिक) + विस्तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अर्ध-योजनस्य विस्तारः)

• तदर्द्धेन: by its half
• तदर्द्धेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तस्य अर्धेन)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

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

• आयतम्: extended/long (in length)
• आयतम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आयत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to तीर्थम् implied)

• शुक्लतीर्थम्: the Śukla-tīrtha (holy ford)
• शुक्लतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (शुक्लं तीर्थम्)

• महापुण्यम्: greatly meritorious
• महापुण्यम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महৎ पुण्यम्); विशेषणम् (to तीर्थम्)

• महापातकनाशनम्: destroyer of great sins
• महापातकनाशनम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + पातक (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (महापातकानां नाशनम्); विशेषणम् (to तीर्थम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Skanda Purāṇa narrative voice within Revā-khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śukla-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous riverside tīrtha called Śukla, its sacred precinct indicated by measured expanse; pilgrims approach with waterpots, while the river gleams pale and auspicious.

Characters & Entities

• Śukla-tīrtha
• Yojana (measure)
• Mahāpātaka (great sin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography matters in Purāṇic dharma: a divinely charged place can neutralize even heavy karmic burdens.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śukla-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a specific rite here; the verse defines the tīrtha and its sin-destroying potency (supporting snāna/darśana in nearby verses).