Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

यथा दिनकरस्पृष्टं हिमं शैलाद्विशीर्यन्ते । तद्वद्विलीयते पापं स्पृष्टं भस्मकणैः शुभैः

Transliteration

yathā dinakaraspṛṣṭaṃ himaṃ śailādviśīryante | tadvadvilīyate pāpaṃ spṛṣṭaṃ bhasmakaṇaiḥ śubhaiḥ

Translation

ดุจหิมะบนภูผาละลายเมื่อถูกต้องด้วยสุริยะฉันใด บาปก็ย่อมสลายฉันนั้น เมื่อถูกต้องด้วยธุลีภัสมะอันเป็นมงคลและศักดิ์สิทธิ์

Word by Word

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparative/Upamā)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/उपमा-बोधक अव्यय) — indeclinable, comparative marker “as/just as”

• dinakara-spṛṣṭam: touched by the sun
• dinakara-spṛṣṭam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of himam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dinakara (प्रातिपदिक) + spṛṣṭa (कृदन्त; √spṛś स्पृश्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘स्पृष्ट’ — neuter, nominative/accusative singular; past passive participle “touched (by)”

• himam: snow/ice
• himam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hima (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — neuter, accusative singular

• śailāt: from the mountain
• śailāt: Apādāna (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन — masculine, ablative singular

• viśīryante: they crumble/disintegrate
• viśīryante: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śṝ (शॄ/शॄञ्) + vi- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद — present indicative, 3rd person plural, middle

• tadvat: likewise
• tadvat: Sambandha (Comparative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमा/तुलना-बोधक) — indeclinable “likewise/so”

• vilīyate: melts/dissolves
• vilīyate: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √lī (ली) + vi- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद — present indicative, 3rd person singular, middle

• pāpam: sin
• pāpam: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — neuter, nominative/accusative singular

• spṛṣṭam: touched
• spṛṣṭam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of pāpam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: spṛṣṭa (कृदन्त; √spṛś स्पृश्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त — neuter, nominative/accusative singular; PPP “touched”

• bhasma-kaṇaiḥ: by particles of ash
• bhasma-kaṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhasma (प्रातिपदिक) + kaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — masculine, instrumental plural

• śubhaiḥ: auspicious/pure
• śubhaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — masculine, instrumental plural; विशेषण (bhasma-kaṇaiḥ)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) [deduced]

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A snow-clad mountain peak under a rising sun; in the foreground a Śaiva devotee applies sacred ash, visually linking melting snow to dissolving sin.

Characters & Entities

• Bhasma (sacred ash)
• Sun (dinakara)
• Mountain snow

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred ash, tied to Śiva’s tradition, is portrayed as a potent purifier that rapidly dissolves sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Revā-tīra māhātmya context; the teaching supports ash-based Śaiva practice at the Narmadā’s bank.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Contact with bhasma—i.e., bhasma-dhāraṇa/bhasma-vilepana (wearing or smearing sacred ash).