Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

सर्वपापक्षयकरं सर्वदुःखघ्नमुत्तमम् । तत्र तीर्थे तु यः स्नाति उपवासपरायणः

Transliteration

sarvapāpakṣayakaraṃ sarvaduḥkhaghnamuttamam | tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ snāti upavāsaparāyaṇaḥ

Translation

ആ തീർത്ഥം പരമോത്തമം—സർവ്വപാപക്ഷയകരവും സർവ്വദുഃഖനാശകവും. അവിടെ ഉപവാസപരായണനായി സ്നാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ ആ ഫലം പ്രാപിക്കും।

Word by Word

• sarva-pāpa-kṣaya-karam: causing the destruction of all sins
• sarva-pāpa-kṣaya-karam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva + pāpa + kṣaya + kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः (सर्वेषां पापानां क्षयः यस्य/येन सः)

• sarva-duḥkha-ghnam: destroying all sorrow
• sarva-duḥkha-ghnam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva + duḥkha + ghna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः (सर्वं दुःखं हन्ति इति)

• uttamam: excellent, supreme
• uttamam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• tīrthe: at the sacred ford/place of pilgrimage
• tīrthe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Discourse particle (Nipāta/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• yaḥ: who (he who)
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• snāti: bathes
• snāti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• upavāsa-parāyaṇaḥ: devoted to fasting
• upavāsa-parāyaṇaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upavāsa + parāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (उपवासे परायणः—निष्ठावान्)

Speaker

Deductively: Purāṇic narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim (or group) stands at the sacred ford at dawn, having fasted; they enter the water with folded hands; the three pools and triple whirlpool shimmer; a calm radiance suggests sins dissolving like dark mist.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Upavāsa (fasting)
• Snāna (bathing)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage joined with self-restraint (fasting) intensifies purification—washing away sin and alleviating suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Revā Khaṇḍa tīrtha being praised as a destroyer of sins and sorrows.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at the tīrtha, performed with upavāsa (fasting/vrata-observance).