Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेय उवाच । आग्नेयं भस्मना स्नानमवगाह्य च वारुणम् । आपोहिष्ठेति च ब्राह्म्यं वायव्यं गोरजः स्मृतम्

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca | āgneyaṃ bhasmanā snānamavagāhya ca vāruṇam | āpohiṣṭheti ca brāhmyaṃ vāyavyaṃ gorajaḥ smṛtam

Translation

มารกัณฑेयกล่าวว่า “การอาบอาคเนยะคืออาบด้วยเถ้าศักดิ์สิทธิ์ (ภัสมะ); การอาบวารุณะคือดำลงแช่ในน้ำ. การอาบพราหมยะคือสวดมนต์ ‘อาโป หิ ษฺฐา…’; ส่วนการอาบวายวยะนั้นกล่าวกันว่าเป็นฝุ่นจากกีบโค (โครรชะ)”

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Perfect, 3rd person singular)

• आग्नेयम्: Agneya [bath]
• आग्नेयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आग्नेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• भस्मना: with ash
• भस्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भस्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Singular)

• स्नानम्: bath
• स्नानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• अवगाह्य: having immersed/bathed
• अवगाह्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-गाह् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त (Absolutive/gerund), अव्यय (indeclinable)

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

• वारुणम्: Vāruṇa [bath]
• वारुणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• आपोहिष्ठा: (the mantra) Āpohiṣṭhā
• आपोहिष्ठा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आपोहिष्ठा (मन्त्रपद/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular); वैदिक-मन्त्रनाम

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्तिसूचक (quotative particle)

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

• ब्राह्म्यम्: Brāhmya [bath]
• ब्राह्म्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• वायव्यम्: Vāyavya [bath]
• वायव्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• गोरजः: cow-dust
• गोरजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ('गवां रजः')

• स्मृतम्: is called/remembered
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (PPP: 'is remembered/called')

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya enumerates four snanas: a devotee smears vibhūti, another immerses in water, a priest recites Vedic mantra, and a pilgrim takes cow-dust in a rural path near a shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Agni
• Varuṇa
• Vāyu
• Āpo hi ṣṭhā (mantra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity is pursued not only through water but through multiple dharmic means—ash, mantra, and sacred contact—each sanctifying body and mind.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Revā Khaṇḍa context leading to the tīrtha connected with Bhūtīśvara/Muktitīrtha on the Narmadā sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Four snāna-types are stated: bhasma-snān (āgneya), water-immersion (vāruṇa), mantra-recitation ‘Āpo hi ṣṭhā…’ (brāhmya), and go-rajas (vāyavya).