Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

स्नानं कृत्वा रविदिने संस्नाय नर्मदाजले । श्राद्धं कृत्वा पितृभ्यो वै दानं दत्त्वा स्वशक्तितः

Transliteration

snānaṃ kṛtvā ravidine saṃsnāya narmadājale | śrāddhaṃ kṛtvā pitṛbhyo vai dānaṃ dattvā svaśaktitaḥ

Translation

ഞായറാഴ്ച സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത്, നർമദാജലത്തിൽ വിധിപൂർവ്വം സമ്യക് സ്നാനം അനുഷ്ഠിച്ച്, പിതൃകൾക്കായി ശ്രാദ്ധം നടത്തി, തന്റെ ശേഷിയനുസരിച്ച് ദാനം നൽകി…

Word by Word

• स्नानम्: bath, bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having done’

• रविदिने: on Sunday (on the Sun’s day)
• रविदिने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक) + दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रवेः दिनम्)

• संस्नाय: having bathed (thoroughly)
• संस्नाय: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having bathed well’

• नर्मदाजले: in the waters of the Narmadā
• नर्मदाजले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक) + जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नर्मदायाः जलम्)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite (ancestral offering)
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having done’

• पितृभ्यः: to the ancestors
• पितृभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Dative, Plural)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/निश्चयार्थ (indeed, surely)

• दानम्: gift, charity
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having given’

• स्वशक्तितः: according to one’s capacity
• स्वशक्तितः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Ablatival adverb) ‘-तः’; समासः—कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (स्वा शक्ति) + तः = ‘according to one’s own ability’

Speaker

Devas (continuation of proclamation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at the Narmadā ghāṭa on a bright Sunday: sunrise, saffron light on rippling water; after bathing, he offers piṇḍa/tarpaṇa with kuśa and sesame, then gives alms to a brāhmaṇa and the poor.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā (Revā)
• Ravi (Sun/Sunday)
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Śrāddha
• Dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is completed by compassion and duty—purification (snāna), ancestral obligation (śrāddha), and generosity (dāna).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Narmadā (Revā) waters and the Devakhāta tīrtha context within Adhyāya 176.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe on Sunday, bathe in Narmadā water, perform śrāddha for the Pitṛs, and give charity according to capacity.