Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

पैतामहे नरः स्नात्वा पूजयन्पार्वतीपतिम् । मुच्यते नात्र सन्देहः पातकैश्चोपपातकैः

Transliteration

paitāmahe naraḥ snātvā pūjayanpārvatīpatim | mucyate nātra sandehaḥ pātakaiścopapātakaiḥ

Translation

പൈതാമഹ തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ മനുഷ്യൻ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് പാർവതീപതി ഭഗവാൻ ശിവനെ പൂജിച്ചാൽ, പാപങ്ങളിലും ഉപപാപങ്ങളിലും നിന്ന് സംശയമില്ലാതെ മോചിതനാകും।

Word by Word

• पैतामहे: in the Paitāmaha (tīrtha)
• पैतामहे: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पैतामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th/Locative), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (in the ‘paitāmaha’ [tīrtha])

• नरः: a man
• नरः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (having bathed)

• पूजयन्: worshipping
• पूजयन्: कर्ता (Agent as participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदी

• पार्वतीपतिम्: the Lord of Pārvatī (Śiva)
• पार्वतीपतिम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती-पति (प्रातिपदिक; पार्वती + पति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पार्वत्याः पतिम्)

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: क्रिया (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive)

• न: no/not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• सन्देहः: doubt
• सन्देहः: कर्तृ/विषय (Subject/topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• पातकैः: by/with sins
• पातकैः: अपादान/हेतु (Cause/source of bondage)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचनम्

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• उपपातकैः: by/with minor sins
• उपपातकैः: अपादान/हेतु (Cause/source of bondage)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपपातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Paitāmaha-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (kṣoṇinātha/rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim emerges from the river after snāna, dripping water, then offers bilva leaves and flowers to a Śiva-liṅga shrine near the ford; attendants hold lamps and incense.

Characters & Entities

• Paitāmaha-tīrtha
• Pārvatīpati (Śiva)
• Snāna
• Pūjā
• Pātaka
• Upapātaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage practice becomes complete when sacred bathing is joined with devotion to Śiva, yielding purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Paitāmaha-tīrtha on the Revā (Narmadā), sanctified by Brahmā’s tapas and Śiva’s abiding presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at the tīrtha followed by pūjā of Pārvatīpati (Śiva) for freedom from major and minor sins.