Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

विमृश्य देवो बहुशः स्थितः स्वयं विधौतपापः प्रथितः पृथिव्याम् । बभूव तत्रैव निवासकारी विधूतपापनिकटप्रदेशे

Transliteration

vimṛśya devo bahuśaḥ sthitaḥ svayaṃ vidhautapāpaḥ prathitaḥ pṛthivyām | babhūva tatraiva nivāsakārī vidhūtapāpanikaṭapradeśe

Translation

പലവട്ടം ആലോചിച്ച ശേഷം ദേവൻ സ്വയം അവിടെയേ നിലകൊണ്ടു. ആ സ്ഥലം ഭൂമിയിൽ ‘വിധൗതപാപ’ എന്ന പേരിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധമായി; പാപം അകറ്റപ്പെടുന്ന പ്രദേശത്തിനടുത്ത് അവൻ അവിടെയേ വാസം ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• विमृश्य: having considered
• विमृश्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + मृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• बहुशः: many times, repeatedly
• बहुशः: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• स्थितः: stayed/remained
• स्थितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (reflexive adverb)

• विधौतपापः: whose sins are washed away
• विधौतपापः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विधौत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• प्रथितः: renowned
• प्रथितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + थि/था? (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• पृथिव्याम्: on the earth
• पृथिव्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• बभूव: became
• बभूव: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्रैव: right there
• तत्रैव: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय) + एव (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय + अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (there + indeed)

• निवासकारी: one who makes (his) residence
• निवासकारी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निवास (प्रातिपदिक) + कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• विधूतपापनिकटप्रदेशे: in the region near (the place) where sins are washed away
• विधूतपापनिकटप्रदेशे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधूत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + निकट (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासान्त पद (locative)

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator (likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing a King

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vidhauṭapāpa

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva remains settled near the ‘sin-cast-off’ vicinity; the landscape itself seems purified, and the name Vidhauṭapāpa spreads across the world.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Vidhautapāpa Tīrtha
• Pṛthivī (earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places become authoritative in tradition when divinity abides there and their purifying effect is repeatedly affirmed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vidhautapāpa tīrtha, celebrated as a renowned sin-cleansing site on the Narmadā circuit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, tīrtha-vāsa (staying at the tīrtha) is praised; no detailed ritual is given.