Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

अनाशकं च यः कुर्यात्तस्मिंस्तीर्थे नराधिप । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तो याति वै शिवमन्दिरम्

Transliteration

anāśakaṃ ca yaḥ kuryāttasmiṃstīrthe narādhipa | sarvapāpavinirmukto yāti vai śivamandiram

Translation

ഹേ നരാധിപാ! ആ തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ ആരെങ്കിലും അനാശക വ്രതം അനുഷ്ഠിച്ചാൽ, അവൻ സർവ്വപാപങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നു വിമുക്തനായി തീർച്ചയായും ശിവധാമമായ ശിവമന്ദിരത്തിൽ എത്തും.

Word by Word

• अनाशकम्: a fast (abstinence)
• अनाशकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनाशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘fasting/abstaining from food’ (as a vow)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय): ‘and’

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative pronoun)

• कुर्यात्: should do/perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• नराधिप: O lord of men (king)
• नराधिप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; समास: नराणाम् अधिपः

• सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः: freed from all sins
• सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + पाप + विनिर्मुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समास: सर्वेषां पापानां विनिर्मुक्तः

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात): निश्चयार्थे ‘indeed’

• शिवमन्दिरम्: Śiva’s abode/temple
• शिवमन्दिरम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म-गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समास: शिवस्य मन्दिरम्

Speaker

Unspecified in the snippet (narrator addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapilā–Viśalyā tīrtha (implied)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (narādhipa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic devotee undertakes anāśaka beside the sacred waters, seated in meditation with rudrākṣa and vibhūti; above, a vision of Śiva’s luminous abode/mandira beckons.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śiva-mandira (Śiva’s abode)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disciplined fasting at a consecrated place functions as expiation and leads toward Śaiva liberation/abode.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same tīrtha praised in Adhyāya 23 (Viśalyā–Saṅgama/associated sacred waters), referenced as 'tasmin tīrthe'.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform anāśaka (complete fast) as a vrata at the tīrtha.