Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन तत्र स्नायीत मानवः । अर्चयेदीश्वरं देवं यदीच्छेच्छाश्वतीं गतिम्

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena tatra snāyīta mānavaḥ | arcayedīśvaraṃ devaṃ yadīcchecchāśvatīṃ gatim

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് മനുഷ്യൻ സർവ്വശ്രമത്തോടെയും അവിടെ സ്നാനം ചെയ്യണം; ശാശ്വത ഗതി ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നുവെങ്കിൽ ഈശ്വരദേവനെ അർച്ചിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सर्वः प्रयत्नः)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक adverb)

• स्नायीत: should bathe
• स्नायीत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मानवः: a man/person
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ईश्वरम्: the Lord
• ईश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ईश्वरस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Conditional/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (शर्तसूचक conjunction: 'if')

• इच्छेत्: should desire
• इच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शाश्वतीम्: eternal
• शाश्वतीम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• गतिम्: state/goal
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāverī-saṅgama

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at the confluence completes snāna, then approaches a riverside Īśvara shrine/liṅga with flowers and bilva leaves; the confluence glows behind, suggesting the ‘eternal path’.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Snāna
• Arcana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is not tourism: tīrtha-snāna must culminate in devotion to Īśvara for lasting spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha indicated is the Kāverī-saṅgama discussed throughout the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at the site and arcana (worship) of Īśvara (Śiva) with the intention of attaining śāśvatī gati.