Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

कावेरीसङ्गमे राजन्स्नानदानार्चनं नरैः । कृतं भक्त्या नरश्रेष्ठ अश्वमेधाधिकं फलम्

Transliteration

kāverīsaṅgame rājansnānadānārcanaṃ naraiḥ | kṛtaṃ bhaktyā naraśreṣṭha aśvamedhādhikaṃ phalam

Translation

ഹേ രാജാവേ, കാവേരി സംഗമത്തിൽ മനുഷ്യർ ഭക്തിയോടെ ചെയ്യുന്ന സ്നാനം, ദാനം, അർച്ചനം—ഹേ നരശ്രേഷ്ഠാ—അശ്വമേധയാഗഫലത്തേക്കാളും അതികമായ ഫലം നൽകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• कावेरी-सङ्गमे: at the confluence of the Kāverī
• कावेरी-सङ्गमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कावेरी (प्रातिपदिक) + सङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कावेरी-सम्बन्धी सङ्गमः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; Locative singular

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; Vocative singular

• स्नान-दान-अर्चनम्: bathing, giving, and worship
• स्नान-दान-अर्चनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/प्रथमा or 2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (स्नानं च दानं च अर्चनं च); Nom/Acc singular

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural

• कृतम्: done/performed
• कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृ-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि/कर्मणि प्रयोगः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Past passive participle ‘done’

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• नर-श्रेष्ठ: O best of men
• नर-श्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नराणां श्रेष्ठः); Vocative singular

• अश्वमेध-अधिकम्: greater than an Aśvamedha
• अश्वमेध-अधिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; पञ्चमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (अश्वमेधात् अधिकम् / अश्वमेधस्य अधिकम्); agreeing with ‘फलम्’

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/प्रथमा or 2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; Nom/Acc singular

Speaker

Narrator (addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāverī-saṅgama

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājan (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king is addressed by a sage; at a river confluence pilgrims bathe, offer gifts, and worship at a small shrine/altar; the saṅgama waters swirl with auspicious signs; the merit is symbolized by a radiant yajña-horse motif fading before the tīrtha’s glory.

Characters & Entities

• Kāverī-saṅgama
• Aśvamedha
• Snāna
• Dāna
• Arcana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion-centered practices at a great tīrtha can exceed the merit of grand ritual sacrifices, highlighting bhakti and sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāverī-saṅgama.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A triad is prescribed: snāna (bathing), dāna (charity), and arcana (worship), to be done with bhakti.