Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

दिव्यस्नानाद्वरं स्नानं वायव्यं भरतर्षभ । वायव्यादुत्तमं ब्राह्म्यं वरं ब्राह्म्यात्तु वारुणम्

Transliteration

divyasnānādvaraṃ snānaṃ vāyavyaṃ bharatarṣabha | vāyavyāduttamaṃ brāhmyaṃ varaṃ brāhmyāttu vāruṇam

Translation

Wahai yang mulia dalam kalangan Bhārata, lebih utama daripada ‘mandi ilahi’ ialah Vāyavya-snānā; lebih utama daripada Vāyavya ialah Brāhmya-snānā; dan lebih luhur daripada Brāhmya ialah Vāruṇa-snānā.

Word by Word

• दिव्यस्नानात्: from/than the divine bath
• दिव्यस्नानात्: Apadana (Source/standard of comparison/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन — Neuter, Ablative singular; कर्मधारय (दिव्यं स्नानम्)

• वरम्: better, superior
• वरम्: Visheshana (Predicate qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular (comparative predicate: better)

• स्नानम्: bath
• स्नानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular

• वायव्यम्: of Vāyu (vāyavya bath)
• वायव्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वायव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular (agreeing with स्नानम्)

• भरतर्षभ: O bull of the Bharatas
• भरतर्षभ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भरतानाम् ऋषभः)

• वायव्यात्: than the vāyavya (bath)
• वायव्यात्: Apadana (Source/standard/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन — Neuter, Ablative singular (standard of comparison)

• उत्तमम्: higher, best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Predicate qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular

• ब्राह्म्यम्: brāhmya (of Brahmā)
• ब्राह्म्यम्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular (agreeing with स्नानम् understood)

• वरम्: better
• वरम्: Visheshana (Predicate qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular

• ब्राह्म्यात्: than the brāhmya (bath)
• ब्राह्म्यात्: Apadana (Source/standard/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन — Neuter, Ablative singular (standard of comparison)

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — particle (but/indeed)

• वारुणम्: vāruṇa (of Varuṇa)
• वारुणम्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular (agreeing with स्नानम् understood)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bharatarṣabha (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage instructs a king, illustrating four ‘baths’ as elemental/personified motifs: Divya (celestial), Vāyavya (wind), Brāhmya (Brahmā/vedic purity), Vāruṇa (water/Varuṇa), arranged as an ascending ladder.

Characters & Entities

• Bharatarṣabha (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Vāyavya-snānā
• Brāhmya-snānā
• Vāruṇa-snānā
• Divya-snānā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual acts are graded by scriptural tradition, encouraging seekers to adopt higher disciplines when possible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider teaching is within Bhūtīśvara Māhātmya, though this verse focuses on comparative snāna categories.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A ranked comparison of snānas: divya < vāyavya < brāhmya < vāruṇa.