Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

धूतपापे च तीर्थानां षष्टिरष्टाधिका स्थिता । स्कन्दतीर्थे शतं पुण्यं तीर्थानां मुनिरुक्तवान्

Transliteration

dhūtapāpe ca tīrthānāṃ ṣaṣṭiraṣṭādhikā sthitā | skandatīrthe śataṃ puṇyaṃ tīrthānāṃ muniruktavān

Translation

ധൂതപാപത്തിൽ അറുപത്തെട്ട് തീർത്ഥങ്ങൾ സ്ഥാപിതമാണ്. സ്കന്ദതീർത്ഥത്തിൽ നൂറ് പുണ്യ തീർത്ഥങ്ങൾ ഉണ്ടെന്ന് മുനി പ്രസ്താവിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• धूतपापे: at Dhūtapāpa (tīrtha/place named ‘Sin-cleansed’)
• धूतपापे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूतपाप (प्रातिपदिक; धूत + पाप)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• तीर्थानाम्: of the tīrthas
• तीर्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• षष्टिः: sixty
• षष्टिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्टि (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; संख्या-शब्द

• अष्टाधिका: eight more (i.e., plus eight)
• अष्टाधिका: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या + विशेषण)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘अष्टाभिः अधिका’ (= eight more)

• स्थिता: is present/exists
• स्थिता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग; ‘is situated/exists’

• स्कन्दतीर्थे: at Skanda-tīrtha
• स्कन्दतीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; संख्या-शब्द

• पुण्यम्: meritorious/sacred
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘शतम्’)

• तीर्थानाम्: of the tīrthas
• तीर्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता

• उक्तवान्: said/declared
• उक्तवान्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्तवत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्तवत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; परस्मैपद-कर्तरि अर्थः; ‘said/declared’

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (as referenced in this adhyāya’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhūtapāpa; Skanda-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: assembled ṛṣis/śaunaka-group (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene river-ford on Revā with multiple miniature shrines/lingas and bathing pilgrims; a sage points out that many tīrthas ‘reside’ here; Skanda’s presence implied by a spear-banner or peacock emblem near Skanda-tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Dhūtapāpa
• Skanda-tīrtha
• muni
• tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas are celebrated as places of purification and accumulated merit, with Skanda-tīrtha especially honored as richly sanctified.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhūtapāpa-tīrtha and Skanda-tīrtha, the latter explicitly linked to Skanda’s sacred presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is given; Dhūtapāpa’s very name suggests sin-cleansing through traditional tīrtha practices such as snāna and worship.