Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

दुर्लभं मनुजैः पार्थ रेवातटसमाश्रितम् । प्राणिनां पापनाशाय ऊषरं पुष्करं तथा

Transliteration

durlabhaṃ manujaiḥ pārtha revātaṭasamāśritam | prāṇināṃ pāpanāśāya ūṣaraṃ puṣkaraṃ tathā

Translation

ഹേ പാർഥാ! മനുഷ്യർക്കിത് ദുർലഭം, കാരണം ഇത് രേവാതടത്തെ ആശ്രയിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു; പ്രാണികളുടെ പാപനാശത്തിനായി ഇവിടെ ‘ഊഷരം’ എന്നും ‘പുഷ്കരം’ എന്നും പേരുള്ള പുണ്യജലങ്ങളും ഉണ്ട്।

Word by Word

• दुर्लभम्: rare/difficult to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् + लभ (कृदन्त; लभ् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण (दुर्लभ = hard to obtain)

• मनुजैः: by men/humans
• मनुजैः: Karana/Agent-in-passive (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• पार्थ: O Pārtha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• रेवातटसमाश्रितम्: situated on the bank of Revā
• रेवातटसमाश्रितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रेवा + तट + सम्-आश्रित (कृदन्त; श्रि/आश्रि धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; बहुपद-समासः (रेवायाः तटम्) इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष + समाश्रित (PPP)

• प्राणिनाम्: of living beings
• प्राणिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• पापनाशाय: for the destruction of sins
• पापनाशाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप + नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पापस्य नाशः)

• ऊषरम्: Ūṣara (a place/tīrtha)
• ऊषरम्: Karma/Enumeration (Object/list item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊषर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• पुष्करम्: Puṣkara (a place/tīrtha)
• पुष्करम्: Karma/Enumeration (Object/list item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• तथा: and also
• तथा: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/तुल्यतार्थ (and likewise/also)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kalhoḍī Tīrtha (with sub-waters Ūṣara and Puṣkara)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (addressed; likely the king in dialogue)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A map-like sacred landscape: Revā riverbank with two highlighted water-spots labeled Ūṣara and Puṣkara; pilgrims approach with reverence, underscoring the rarity of the opportunity.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Pārtha (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Ūṣara
• Puṣkara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human birth is portrayed as a rare chance to access purifying sacred sites; one should use it for sin-removal and spiritual uplift.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kalhoḍī Tīrtha on the bank of the Revā (Narmadā), along with sacred waters/places named Ūṣara and Puṣkara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied tīrtha-practice (especially snāna) for pāpa-nāśa in the Revā-bank sacred waters.