Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

स्नात्वा दत्त्वा यथान्यायं तत्रापि सुकृती भवेत् । तत्र देवगणाः सर्वे सकिन्नरमहोरगाः

Transliteration

snātvā dattvā yathānyāyaṃ tatrāpi sukṛtī bhavet | tatra devagaṇāḥ sarve sakinnaramahoragāḥ

Translation

അവിടെ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് വിധിപ്രകാരം ദാനം നൽകിയാൽ മനുഷ്യൻ പുണ്യവാനാകുന്നു. അവിടെ സർവ്വ ദേവഗണങ്ങളും കിന്നരന്മാരും മഹോരഗന്മാരും (മഹാനാഗങ്ങൾ) സഹിതം സന്നിഹിതരാണ്.

Word by Word

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier of main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (prior action), धातु: स्ना (to bathe)

• दत्त्वा: having given (donated)
• दत्त्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया, धातु: दा (to give)

• यथा-न्यायम्: according to proper rule
• यथा-न्यायम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + न्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; अर्थः: विधिपूर्वकं/न्यायानुसारम् (according to rule)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: also/even)

• सुकृती: meritorious; one with good deeds
• सुकृती: Karta (Subject complement with भवेत्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुकृतिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विशेषण (one possessing merit)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक

• देव-गणाः: groups of gods
• देव-गणाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां गणाः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying देवगणाः)

• स-किन्नर-महोरगाः: along with Kinnaras and great serpents
• स-किन्नर-महोरगाः: Karta (Apposition to देवगणाः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थे ‘सह’) + किन्नर (प्रातिपदिक) + महोरग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष/सह-सम्बन्धः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘सह किन्नरैः महोरगैश्च’ इत्यर्थे (including Kinnaras and great serpents)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing narration to Yudhiṣṭhira)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Amareśvara-tīrtha (Revā/Narmadā)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (Pandava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous Narmadā ford at dawn; pilgrims complete ritual bathing and offer gifts; in the sky and riverine liminal space appear devas, kinnaras with vīṇās, and nāgas rising from the waters, witnessing the rite.

Characters & Entities

• Devagaṇa
• Kinnara
• Mahoraga (Nāga)
• Snāna
• Dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit arises from combining tīrtha-bathing with righteous charity performed in a dharmic manner.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viśalyā tīrtha in the Revā (Narmadā) region, depicted as a gathering place of divine beings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) and dāna (charity) should be done yathānyāya—according to proper ritual and ethical norms.