Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

यस्तु सम्यग्विधानेन तत्र स्नात्वार्चयेच्छिवम् । देवान्पितॄन्समभ्यर्च्य मुच्यते सर्वपातकैः

Transliteration

yastu samyagvidhānena tatra snātvārcayecchivam | devānpitṝnsamabhyarcya mucyate sarvapātakaiḥ

Translation

କିନ୍ତୁ ଯେ ଶାସ୍ତ୍ରୋକ୍ତ ଯଥାବିଧିରେ ସେଠାରେ ସ୍ନାନ କରି ଶିବଙ୍କୁ ଅର୍ଚ୍ଚନା କରେ, ଦେବମାନଙ୍କୁ ଓ ପିତୃମାନଙ୍କୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ଯଥାବିଧି ସମ୍ମାନ କରି, ସେ ସମସ୍ତ ମହାପାତକରୁ ମୁକ୍ତ ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular (relative pronoun)

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

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — adverb ‘properly’

• विधानेन: by the prescribed procedure
• विधानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक) — adverb ‘there’

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय — gerund ‘having bathed’

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (लिङ्-लकार), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Optative, 3rd sg, Parasmaipada

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative singular

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — Masculine, Accusative plural

• पितॄन्: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितॄन्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — Masculine, Accusative plural

• समभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped (them) properly
• समभ्यर्च्य: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अभि + अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय — gerund ‘having duly worshipped’

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि — Present, 3rd sg, passive

• सर्वपातकैः: from all sins/offences
• सर्वपातकैः: Apadana (Ablative sense/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental plural; (अर्थतः पञ्चमी-भाव: ‘from’)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhauta-pāpa

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After bathing at the ford, the pilgrim offers bilva leaves to a Śiva-liṅga on the riverbank while performing tarpaṇa; devas and pitṛs are envisioned receiving offerings as luminous presences.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devas
• Pitṛs
• Dhauta-pāpa Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is perfected when tīrtha-bathing is joined with right ritual order—Śiva worship along with reverence to devas and pitṛs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhauta-pāpa tīrtha (near Bhṛgu-tīrtha) in the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at the tīrtha, Śiva-arcana (worship), and worship/offerings to devas and pitṛs.