Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

पापौघहतजन्तूनां मोक्षदं नर्मदातटे । अहोरात्रोषितो भूत्वा नन्दिनाथे युधिष्ठिर

Transliteration

pāpaughahatajantūnāṃ mokṣadaṃ narmadātaṭe | ahorātroṣito bhūtvā nandināthe yudhiṣṭhira

Translation

நர்மதா கரையில் உள்ள நந்திநாதத் தலத்தில் ஒரு பகலும் ஒரு இரவும் தங்கினால், பாவக் குவியலால் நொறுங்கிய உயிர்களுக்கும் மோட்சம் கிடைக்கும், யுதிஷ்டிரா।

Word by Word

• पापौघहतजन्तूनाम्: of beings struck by a flood of sins
• पापौघहतजन्तूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप-ओघ (प्रातिपदिक) + हत (√हन् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय) + जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; समासः—पापौघेन हताः जन्तवः (तत्पुरुष), तेषाम्

• मोक्षदम्: granting liberation
• मोक्षदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + द (√दा धातु, क-प्रत्यय/द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—मोक्षं ददाति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• नर्मदातटे: on the bank of the Narmadā
• नर्मदातटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक) + तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—नर्मदायाः तटः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष), तस्मिन्

• अहोरात्रोषितः: having stayed for a day and night
• अहोरात्रोषितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अहोरात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + उषित (√वस्/उष् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; समासः—अहोरात्रं उषितः (द्वितीया-तत्पुरुष)

• भूत्वा: having become; having been
• भूत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); ‘having become/being’

• नन्दिनाथे: at (the shrine of) Nandinātha
• नन्दिनाथे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दि (प्रातिपदिक) + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—नन्देः नाथः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष), तस्मिन्

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nandinātha on Narmadā-taṭa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim on the Narmadā bank near a Śaiva shrine of Nandinātha, spending a full day and night in vigil; river flowing, lamps at dusk, ascetic ambience; Yudhiṣṭhira addressed in a didactic setting.

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Nandinātha
• Yudhiṣṭhira

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even those burdened by great sin are promised purification and liberation through sincere tīrtha-association and observance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nandinātha/Nanditīrtha on the bank of the Narmadā (Revā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ahorātra-uṣita: staying at the sacred site for a full day and night as part of the observance.