Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अघमर्षणं त्र्यृचं तोयं यथावेदमथापि वा । उपपापैर्न लिप्येत पद्मपत्रमिवाम्भसा

Transliteration

aghamarṣaṇaṃ tryṛcaṃ toyaṃ yathāvedamathāpi vā | upapāpairna lipyeta padmapatramivāmbhasā

Translation

വേദവിധിപ്രകാരം മൂന്നു ഋച്ചുകളാൽ അഘമർഷണം ചെയ്യുകയോ—അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ജലം മാത്രം ഉപയോഗിച്ചും ചെയ്യുകയോ ചെയ്താൽ—ഉപപാപങ്ങൾ ലിപ്തമാകില്ല; താമരയില വെള്ളത്തിൽ നനയാത്തതുപോലെ.

Word by Word

• अघमर्षणम्: the Aghamarṣaṇa (rite/mantra)
• अघमर्षणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघमर्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः अघस्य मर्षणम् (तत्पुरुष)

• त्र्यृचम्: consisting of three verses
• त्र्यृचम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + ऋच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रयः ऋचः यस्य) — ‘अघमर्षणम्’ इति विशेषण

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (अघमर्षणस्य विषय/उपकरणरूपेण)

• यथा: according to
• यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/according to)

• वेदम्: the Veda
• वेदम्: Anuyoga (Standard/प्रमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘यथा’ इत्यस्य योगे (according to the Veda)

• अथ: then/also
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/उपक्रमवाचक-अव्यय (then/and)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/सम्भावना-बोधक अव्यय (also/even)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-बोधक अव्यय (or)

• उपपापैः: by minor sins
• उपपापैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपपाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे), तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• लिप्येत: should be tainted
• लिप्येत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• पद्मपत्रम्: a lotus-leaf
• पद्मपत्रम्: Upamana (Simile-standard/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्मपत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः पद्मस्य पत्रम् (तत्पुरुष)

• इव: like
• इव: Upama-dyotaka (Simile marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक अव्यय (like/as)

• अम्भसा: by water
• अम्भसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्भस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Revā Khaṇḍa instructional tone within Āvantya Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (Aghamarṣaṇa-prayoga)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs Aghamarṣaṇa at the river: hands cupped with water, reciting three ṛcs; nearby a lotus leaf gleams, water beads rolling off, illustrating the simile of unstained purity.

Characters & Entities

• Aghamarṣaṇa
• Veda
• Padma (lotus)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular purification through Aghamarṣaṇa keeps one spiritually unstained by minor faults, like water on a lotus leaf.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is the Revā (Narmadā) sacred landscape in the Revā Khaṇḍa, where river-oriented rites are emphasized.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Aghamarṣaṇa with the three ṛk-verses using water, ideally as per Vedic procedure.