Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

मध्याह्नसमये स्नात्वा पश्यत्यात्मानमात्मना । ब्रह्मविष्ण्विन्द्रसहितः शुक्लतीर्थे समाहितः

Transliteration

madhyāhnasamaye snātvā paśyatyātmānamātmanā | brahmaviṣṇvindrasahitaḥ śuklatīrthe samāhitaḥ

Translation

మధ్యాహ్న సమయంలో స్నానం చేసి, ఆత్మచేత ఆత్మను దర్శిస్తాడు; బ్రహ్మ-విష్ణు-ఇంద్రులతో కలిసి శుక్లతీర్థంలో ధ్యాననిష్ఠగా ఉంటాడు।

Word by Word

• madhyāhnasamaye: at midday time
• madhyāhnasamaye: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhyāhna + samaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (madhyāhnasya samayaḥ)

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √snā (स्ना)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया (having bathed)

• paśyati: sees
• paśyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ātmānam: the Self
• ātmānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• ātmanā: by/with the self
• ātmanā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• brahma: Brahmā
• brahma: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समासाङ्ग; undeclined member in compound)

• viṣṇu: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇu: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समासाङ्ग)

• indra: Indra
• indra: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (समासाङ्ग)

• sahitaḥ: accompanied (by)
• sahitaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sahita (प्रातिपदिक; √sah (सह्) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• śuklatīrthe: at Śukla-tīrtha
• śuklatīrthe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śukla + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (śuklaṃ tīrtham)

• samāhitaḥ: composed/collected (in mind)
• samāhitaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samāhita (प्रातिपदिक; सम्+आ+√dhā (धा) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śuklatīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At bright noon, the tīrtha waters shimmer; a yogic figure emerges from the bath, seated in meditation at the ghat. Above/around appear Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Indra as reverent attendants while Śiva remains absorbed in contemplation at Śuklatīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Śuklatīrtha
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Indra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-snāna joined with inner collectedness culminates in ātmadarśana—spiritual self-realization.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śuklatīrtha on the Narmadā is praised as a locus of divine assembly and contemplation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Midday bathing (madhyāhna-snāna) at the tīrtha is explicitly mentioned, along with meditative absorption.