Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन ज्ञात्वैवं नृपसत्तम । स्नातव्यं मानवैस्तत्र यत्र संनिहितो हरः

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena jñātvaivaṃ nṛpasattama | snātavyaṃ mānavaistatra yatra saṃnihito haraḥ

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട്, ഹേ നൃപശ്രേഷ്ഠാ, ഇതറിഞ്ഞ് സർവ്വശ്രമത്തോടും കൂടി മനുഷ്യർ ഹരൻ (ശിവൻ) വിശേഷമായി സന്നിഹിതനായിരിക്കുന്ന സ്ഥലത്ത് സ്നാനം ചെയ്യേണ്ടതാണ്.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/सम्बन्धसूचक), अर्थे 'तस्मात्' = 'अतः/इसलिए'

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्व + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वस्य प्रयत्नः)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), 'having known'

• एवं: thus
• एवं: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• नृपसत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नृपाणां सत्तमः)

• स्नातव्यम्: one should bathe
• स्नातव्यम्: Vidhi (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (तव्यत्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भावे/कर्तरि प्रयोगः—'should be bathed/one should bathe'

• मानवैः: by people
• मानवैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

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

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/देशवाचक; यत्-तत् सम्बन्ध)

• संनिहितः: present, stationed
• संनिहितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-नि-धा (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (हरस्य)

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages; addressing a king within the narrative (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (Śiva-sannihita spot)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa / nṛpasattama (a king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A river-ford on Revā at dawn; pilgrims descend steps to bathe while a subtle, luminous Śiva-presence is suggested—liṅga-like radiance or a faint outline of Hara above the waters; a king listens respectfully to the teaching.

Characters & Entities

• Hara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest efficacy of a tīrtha is tied to divine presence; one should strive to bathe where Śiva is specially manifest.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha(s) in this adhyāya where Hara (Śiva) is said to be saṃnihita (specially present).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A strong injunction to perform snāna at the Śiva-sanctified location.