Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 147

Devanagari script

यैस्तु वाहैर्गतस्तीर्थं स्नातोऽहं स्नापयामि तान् । तत्र मध्यस्थितः स्नातस्तिर्यक्त्वान्निर्गतो वणिक्

Transliteration

yaistu vāhairgatastīrthaṃ snāto'haṃ snāpayāmi tān | tatra madhyasthitaḥ snātastiryaktvānnirgato vaṇik

Translation

‘ഏത് വാഹനങ്ങളാൽ ഞാൻ തീർത്ഥത്തിലെത്തി സ്നാനം ചെയ്തുവോ, ആ വാഹനങ്ങളെയേ ഞാൻ സ്നാനിപ്പിക്കുന്നു.’ അവിടെ മദ്ധ്യധാരയിൽ നിന്നു സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് ആ വണിക് തിര്യക്-യോനിയിൽ നിന്ന് വിമുക്തനായി പുറത്തുവന്നു.

Word by Word

• यैः: by which/with which
• यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय (particle)

• वाहैः: by the mounts/vehicles
• वाहैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण

• गतः: gone
• गतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गत (कृदन्त; √गम् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• तीर्थम्: to the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• स्नातः: bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्नात (कृदन्त; √स्ना धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• स्नापयामि: I cause to bathe / I bathe
• स्नापयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु) (णिच्)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• तान्: those (them)
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; कर्म

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• मध्यस्थितः: standing in the middle
• मध्यस्थितः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्य + स्थित (कृदन्त; √स्था धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषण

• स्नातः: bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्नात (कृदन्त; √स्ना धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• तिर्यक्त्वात्: from being an animal (animal-state)
• तिर्यक्त्वात्: Apadana (Source/अपा दान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिर्यक्त्व (प्रातिपदिक; तिर्यक् + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अपादान (ablative)

• निर्गतः: having come out; freed
• निर्गतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्गत (कृदन्त; नि: + √गम् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• वणिक्: a merchant
• वणिक्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वणिज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; हलन्त-प्रातिपदिक (वणिक्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; narrative of a tīrtha miracle/result)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-tīrtha (midstream snāna)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands in the river’s midstream performing snāna; nearby, elephants/horses are washed. A wondrous moment: a merchant emerges, symbolically freed from animal-birth bondage—shown as a human figure rising with radiant aura.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Merchant (Vaṇik)
• Tiryak-yoni (animal birth)
• Snāna
• Vāhana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-bathing can transform destiny; compassion and responsibility extend even to the animals that serve one’s pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Revā/Narmadā tīrtha (within the Bhāreśvara-oriented Adhyāya 209 context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at the tīrtha, including bathing one’s mounts/animals that enabled the journey.