Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 113

Devanagari script

अतिपुण्यो गिरिश्रेष्ठो यस्माद्भरतसत्तम । अस्मान्नित्यं भवेद्राजन्सर्वपापक्षयंकरः

Transliteration

atipuṇyo giriśreṣṭho yasmādbharatasattama | asmānnityaṃ bhavedrājansarvapāpakṣayaṃkaraḥ

Translation

अतिपुण्यो गिरिश्रेष्ठोऽयं यतः भरतसत्तम। अस्माकं जनानां राजन् नित्यं सर्वपापक्षयङ्करः॥

Word by Word

• अति-पुण्यः: exceedingly meritorious
• अति-पुण्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (अव्यय) + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (अतिशयेन पुण्यः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• गिरि-श्रेष्ठः: best of mountains
• गिरि-श्रेष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गिरीणां श्रेष्ठः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• यस्मात्: from which/because of which
• यस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Relative pronoun, Ablative, Singular)

• भरत-सत्तम: O best of the Bharatas
• भरत-सत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (भरतानां सत्तमः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• अस्मान्: us
• अस्मान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (1st person pronoun, Accusative, Plural)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (adverbial accusative: 'always')

• भवेत्: may be/would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), तृतीयपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (3rd person, Singular)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• सर्व-पाप-क्षयम्-करः: causing the destruction of all sins
• सर्व-पाप-क्षयम्-करः: Visheshana (Qualifier of गिरीश्रेष्ठः/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु) + ण्वुल् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां पापानां क्षयं करोति इति); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Amarakāṇṭaka

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā (also addressed ‘bharata-sattama’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Amarakāṇṭaka is shown as a majestic, sanctified mountain radiating a gentle light; pilgrims and sages feel their burdens lift as they approach, symbolizing continual sin-destruction.

Characters & Entities

• Amarakaṇṭaka
• Bharatasattama (royal listener)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Association with a supremely holy kṣetra functions as ongoing purification and supports the path of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Amarakaṇṭaka, described as ‘giriśreṣṭha’—the foremost sacred mountain.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse emphasizes the inherent purificatory power of the place.