Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तत्र तीर्थेऽश्विनौ देवौ सुरूपौ भिषजां वरौ । तपः कृत्वा सुविपुलं संजातौ यज्ञभागिनौ

Transliteration

tatra tīrthe'śvinau devau surūpau bhiṣajāṃ varau | tapaḥ kṛtvā suvipulaṃ saṃjātau yajñabhāginau

Translation

ആ തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ സുന്ദരരൂപികളായ, വൈദ്യന്മാരിൽ ശ്രേഷ്ഠരായ അശ്വിനീദേവന്മാർ മഹാതപസ്സു ചെയ്തു യജ്ഞഭാഗത്തിന് അർഹരായി।

Word by Word

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

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

• अश्विनौ: the Aśvins (twin gods)
• अश्विनौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन — Masculine, Nominative dual

• देवौ: two gods
• देवौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन — Masculine, Nominative dual (apposition)

• सुरूपौ: handsome, of good form
• सुरूपौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन — Masculine, Nominative dual; विशेषण — adjective qualifying अश्विनौ/देवौ

• भिषजाम्: of physicians
• भिषजाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिषज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन — Masculine, Genitive plural

• वरौ: the best
• वरौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन — Masculine, Nominative dual; विशेषण — adjective (superlative sense: best)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Verbal adjunct/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) — having done; धातु: कृ

• सुविपुलम्: very great, exceedingly extensive
• सुविपुलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-विपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative singular; विशेषण — qualifying तपः

• संजातौ: were born, came into being
• संजातौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+जन् (धातु) → संजात (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle used predicatively); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन — Masculine, Nominative dual; ‘became/ were born’

• यज्ञभागिनौ: sharers in the sacrificial portion
• यज्ञभागिनौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यज्ञ-भागिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन — Masculine, Nominative dual; विशेषण — qualifying अश्विनौ; तत्पुरुष: यज्ञस्य भागी (one who has a share in sacrifice)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On a luminous riverbank tīrtha, the twin Aśvins—youthful, radiant physicians—perform severe tapas; a subtle yajña-fire motif appears, indicating their later share in offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvinau (Aśvins)
• Āśvina Tīrtha
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity (tapas) performed at a sacred place is portrayed as transformative, conferring both spiritual stature and ritual entitlement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Āśvina Tīrtha, where the Aśvins are said to have practiced tapas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it describes tapas leading to ‘yajña-bhāga’ (a rightful share in sacrificial offerings).