Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तत्र तीर्थे तु यः स्नात्वा सोपवासो जितेन्द्रियः । जपेदेकाक्षरं मन्त्रमूर्ध्वबाहुर्दिवाकरे

Transliteration

tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ snātvā sopavāso jitendriyaḥ | japedekākṣaraṃ mantramūrdhvabāhurdivākare

Translation

ആ തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ ആരെങ്കിലും സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് ഉപവാസത്തോടെ, ഇന്ദ്രിയനിഗ്രഹത്തോടെ, സൂര്യനെ അഭിമുഖീകരിച്ച് ഊർദ്ധ്വബാഹുവായി നിന്നു ഏകാക്ഷര മന്ത്രം ജപിച്ചാൽ—

Word by Word

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

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

• तु: indeed
• तु: None (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोधसूचक (particle: indeed/but)

• यः: whoever
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + त्वा (कृत्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया: ‘having bathed’

• स: he
• स: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक सर्वनाम

• उपवासः: (being) fasting
• उपवासः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘उपवास’ = fasting (as state)

• जितेन्द्रियः: self-controlled (having conquered the senses)
• जितेन्द्रियः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास (whose senses are conquered); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘स’ इति विशेषणम्

• जपेत्: should chant
• जपेत्: Kriya (Injunction/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; विध्यर्थ: ‘should recite’

• एकाक्षरम्: one-syllabled
• एकाक्षरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगुसमास (numeral compound: one-syllabled); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘मन्त्रम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• मन्त्रम्: mantra
• मन्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• ऊर्ध्वबाहुः: with arms raised
• ऊर्ध्वबाहुः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक) + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास (one whose arms are raised); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषण (of ‘स’)

• दिवाकरे: at the sun (i.e., in daytime / facing the sun)
• दिवाकरे: Adhikarana (Time/Occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवाकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; ‘दिवाकर’ = सूर्य

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhīmeśvara

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍavaśreṣṭha (likely Yudhiṣṭhira)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At sunrise or strong daylight, a pilgrim stands after bathing, wet hair tied, arms raised (ūrdhva-bāhu) toward the Sun, eyes focused, fasting posture; nearby is the Bhīmeśvara shrine and riverbank steps.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Divākara (Sun)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is intensified when pilgrimage bathing is joined with self-restraint, fasting, and mantra-japa performed with reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The referenced tīrtha is the Bhīmeśvara-associated sacred site described in the surrounding verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at the tīrtha, upavāsa (fasting), indriya-jaya (sense control), and ekākṣara-mantra japa facing the Sun with uplifted arms.