Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन्सोपवासो जितेन्द्रियः । अश्वमेधस्य महतोऽसंशयं फलमाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

tatra snātvā naro rājansopavāso jitendriyaḥ | aśvamedhasya mahato'saṃśayaṃ phalamāpnuyāt

Translation

ഹേ രാജാവേ! അവിടെ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് ഉപവാസവും ഇന്ദ്രിയനിയന്ത്രണവും പാലിക്കുന്ന മനുഷ്യൻ സംശയമില്ലാതെ മഹാ അശ്വമേധയാഗത്തിന്റെ ഫലം പ്രാപിക്കും.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक/adverb of place): ‘there’

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: अव्ययभाव-कृदन्त (क्त्वान्त/gerund): ‘having bathed’

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• सोपवासः: fasting
• सोपवासः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समास/सन्धि: स-उपवासः (सहित-उपवासः) = ‘with fasting/fasting’

• जितेन्द्रियः: self-controlled
• जितेन्द्रियः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: यस्य इन्द्रियाणि जितानि सः

• अश्वमेधस्य: of the Aśvamedha (sacrifice)
• अश्वमेधस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; समास: अश्व + मेध (यज्ञ)

• महतः: great
• महतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; ‘great’ (agreeing with अश्वमेधस्य)

• असंशयम्: undoubtedly
• असंशयम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असंशयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण): ‘without doubt’

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आप्नुयात्: would obtain
• आप्नुयात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Unspecified in the snippet (narrator addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapilā–Viśalyā tīrtha (implied)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at dawn performs snāna at a sacred confluence, hands joined in añjali; nearby a king listens to a sage describing the Aśvamedha-like fruit; the atmosphere is austere and pure.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvamedha
• Viśalyā–Saṅgama (by context: 'there')

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-snāna combined with fasting and self-restraint is equated with the highest Vedic sacrificial merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha being described in Adhyāya 23—contextually the Viśalyā–Saṅgama/related river confluence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe at the tīrtha, observe upavāsa (fasting), and maintain sense-control (jitendriya).