Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तत्र तीर्थे तु यः स्नात्वा शाठ्येनापि नरेश्वर । मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो नात्र कार्या विचारणा

Transliteration

tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ snātvā śāṭhyenāpi nareśvara | mucyate sarvapāpebhyo nātra kāryā vicāraṇā

Translation

ഹേ നരേശ്വരാ! ആ തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ ആരെങ്കിലും—even കപടത്തോടെയെങ്കിലും—സ്നാനം ചെയ്താൽ, അവൻ സർവ്വപാപങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നു മോചിതനാകും; ഇവിടെ വിചാരണ ആവശ്യമില്ല।

Word by Word

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

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

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/समुच्चय-व्यतिरेकसूचक) — particle ‘but/indeed’

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

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (पूर्वकालक्रिया) — Gerund/absolutive ‘having bathed’

• शाठ्येन: with deceit/insincerity
• शाठ्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाठ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental singular

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — particle ‘even/also’

• नरेश्वर: O lord of men (king)
• नरेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative singular; तत्पुरुष समास (नराणाम् ईश्वरः)

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि प्रयोग — Present indicative, 3rd sg, Ātmanepada, passive

• सर्वपापेभ्यः: from all sins
• सर्वपापेभ्यः: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), बहुवचन — Neuter, Ablative plural; कर्मधारय (सर्वाणि पापानि)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध) — negation particle

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) — indeclinable adverb ‘here/in this matter’

• कार्या: to be done/necessary
• कार्या: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative singular; विधेय-विशेषण (to ‘vicāraṇā’)

• विचारणा: consideration/inquiry
• विचारणा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचारणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative singular

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhauta-pāpa

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim steps into a luminous river-ford; dark, smoky personifications of sins recoil at the water’s edge while the tīrtha glows with a protective aura.

Characters & Entities

• Dhauta-pāpa Tīrtha
• Yudhiṣṭhira (implied addressee: nareśvara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha’s grace is portrayed as exceptionally powerful—its purifying efficacy surpasses even flaws in the pilgrim’s intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dhauta-pāpa tīrtha (in the Revā Khaṇḍa sacred geography).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at the tīrtha is explicitly stated as the means for release from sins.