Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

जटाकलापबद्धोऽयमनयोर्नः क्षमावतोः । सौम्यास्यदृष्टिः पापानि हन्तुं जन्मार्जितानि वै

Transliteration

jaṭākalāpabaddho'yamanayornaḥ kṣamāvatoḥ | saumyāsyadṛṣṭiḥ pāpāni hantuṃ janmārjitāni vai

Translation

ജടാകലാപംകൊണ്ട് ബന്ധിതരായ ഈ രണ്ടുപേരും ഞങ്ങളോടു സദാ ക്ഷമാശീലരാണ്; അവരുടെ സൗമ്യമുഖദൃഷ്ടി ജന്മജന്മാന്തരങ്ങളിൽ സമ്പാദിച്ച പാപങ്ങളെ തീർച്ചയായും നശിപ്പിക്കട്ടെ.

Word by Word

• जटाकलापबद्धः: bound with a mass of matted hair
• जटाकलापबद्धः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जटा + कलाप + बद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (जटाकलापेन बद्धः)

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अनयोः: of these two
• अनयोः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) / सप्तमी (7th/Locative), द्विवचन; अत्र षष्ठी—‘of these two’

• नः: of us, our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• क्षमावतोः: of the two forgiving ones
• क्षमावतोः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षमावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन; ‘of the two patient/forbearing (ones)’

• सौम्यास्यदृष्टिः: the gentle-faced glance/vision
• सौम्यास्यदृष्टिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौम्य + आस्य + दृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सौम्यस्य आस्यस्य दृष्टिः/दर्शनम्)

• पापानि: sins
• पापानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• हन्तुम्: to destroy
• हन्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive/तुमन्त), ‘to slay/destroy’

• जन्मार्जितानि: acquired from birth (birth-earned)
• जन्मार्जितानि: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन्मन् + अर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; कृदन्तः—क्त (PPP) ‘अर्जित’; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (जन्मना अर्जितानि)

• वै: indeed, surely
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphatic)

Speaker

Devotees/petitioners (contextual prayer within Revā Khaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two compassionate ascetic-lords with matted locks stand near the river; devotees plead for forgiveness; the lords’ gentle gaze radiates outward like a cleansing light dissolving dark karmic stains.

Characters & Entities

• Nara-Nārāyaṇa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine compassion accessed through darśana is presented as a force that dissolves deep karmic residue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The larger Revā Khaṇḍa context celebrates the Narmadā region; this verse centers on the deity’s merciful gaze.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied practice is seeking darśana and offering prayer for forgiveness; no formal vow is specified.