Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

तदाप्रभृति तत्तीर्थं सर्वतीर्थेष्वनुत्तमम् । स्नानमात्रानरस्तत्र मुच्यते सर्वपातकैः

Transliteration

tadāprabhṛti tattīrthaṃ sarvatīrtheṣvanuttamam | snānamātrānarastatra mucyate sarvapātakaiḥ

Translation

அந்நாளிலிருந்து அந்தத் தீர்த்தம் எல்லாத் தீர்த்தங்களிலும் ஒப்பற்றதாக ஆனது; அங்கே வெறும் நீராடுதலாலேயே மனிதன் எல்லாப் பாவங்களிலிருந்தும் விடுபடுவான்।

Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• प्रभृति: from (that time)
• प्रभृति: Apadana (Starting point/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भार्थक (from, starting from)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• तीर्थम्: holy place / ford
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वतीर्थेषु: among all holy places
• सर्वतीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—सर्वाणि तीर्थानि (among all tīrthas)

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (superlative sense)

• स्नानमात्रः: by mere bathing
• स्नानमात्रः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्नान + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—स्नानं मात्रं यस्य (only bathing)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (there)

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• सर्वपातकैः: from all sins
• सर्वपातकैः: Apadana (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—सर्वाणि पातकानि (from all sins)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Karañja-tīrtha / Karañjeśvara-tīrtha (implied)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred ford becomes renowned as supreme; pilgrims bathe and are shown as shedding darkness/sin, emerging radiant.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha (Revā-region sacred ford)
• Mahādeva (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography carries transformative power; humble snāna at a consecrated tīrtha is portrayed as purifying.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha established/validated by Karañja’s Śiva-event in the Revā (Narmadā) region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at the tīrtha, presented as sufficient for purification.