Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

स्नात्वा दानं च वै दद्यादर्चयेद्गिरिजापतिम् । ऋणत्रयविनिर्मुक्तो नाके दीप्यति देववत्

Transliteration

snātvā dānaṃ ca vai dadyādarcayedgirijāpatim | ṛṇatrayavinirmukto nāke dīpyati devavat

Translation

స్నానం చేసి నిశ్చయంగా దానం చేయాలి, గిరిజాపతి (శివుడు)ను ఆరాధించాలి. త్రివిధ ఋణాల నుండి విముక్తుడై అతడు స్వర్గంలో దేవునివలె ప్రకాశిస్తాడు.

Word by Word

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (having bathed)

• दानम्: a gift, charity
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (acc sg)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction 'and')

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (optative, 3rd sg)

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (optative, 3rd sg)

• गिरिजापतिम्: the husband of Girijā (Śiva)
• गिरिजापतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरिजा-पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (acc sg); समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गिरिजायाः पतिः)

• ऋणत्रयविनिर्मुक्तः: freed from the three debts
• ऋणत्रयविनिर्मुक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋण-त्रय-विनिर्मुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय) 'विनिर्मुक्त'; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समास: तत्पुरुष (ऋणत्रयात् विनिर्मुक्तः)

• नाके: in heaven
• नाके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (locative sg)

• दीप्यति: shines
• दीप्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दीप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, वर्तमानकाल; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (present, 3rd sg)

• देववत्: like a god
• देववत्: Upamana (Comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: तद्धितान्त अव्यय; -वत् (comparative indeclinable: 'like')

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā (addressed as ‘rājan’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at the river completes snāna, offers dāna to a brāhmaṇa, then performs Śiva-arcana; above, a luminous path to svarga where the devotee shines ‘like a deva’.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Girijā-pati)
• Girijā (Pārvatī)
• Narmadā (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is completed by ethical action (dāna) and devotion (Śiva-arcana), culminating in liberation from foundational obligations (ṛṇa-traya).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ṛṇamocana tīrtha on the Revā/Narmadā, where snāna plus worship is said to yield extraordinary merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snāna, give dāna, and worship Girijā-pati (Śiva).