Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

प्राणायामैर्दहेद्दोषान् सप्तजन्मार्जितान्बहून् । आपोहिष्ठेति मन्त्रेण प्रोक्षयेदात्मनस्तनुम्

Transliteration

prāṇāyāmairdaheddoṣān saptajanmārjitānbahūn | āpohiṣṭheti mantreṇa prokṣayedātmanastanum

Translation

ด้วยปราณายาม พึงเผาผลาญโทษมากมายที่สั่งสมมาถึงเจ็ดชาติ; แล้วด้วยมนตร์ที่ขึ้นต้นว่า “อาโป หิ ษฺฐา…” พึงประพรมกายตนด้วยน้ำเพื่อความบริสุทธิ์

Word by Word

• प्राणायामैः: by breath-controls
• प्राणायामैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणायाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः प्राण+आयाम (तत्पुरुष)

• दहेत्: should burn/destroy
• दहेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दोषान्: faults/impurities
• दोषान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म/Object), बहुवचन

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या-विशेषण; (समासे पूर्वपदत्वेन)

• जन्म: birth
• जन्म: Samasa-upapada (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासे)

• आर्जितान्: acquired/accumulated
• आर्जितान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आर्जित (कृदन्त; √अर्ज् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘दोषान्’ इति विशेषण

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘दोषान्’ इति विशेषण

• आपः: waters
• आपः: Mantra-quotation (मन्त्रपद)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (बहुवचन-प्रातिपदिक), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; मन्त्रपद-रूपेण

• हिष्ठा: most beneficial
• हिष्ठा: Mantra-quotation (मन्त्रपद)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हिष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; मन्त्रपद-रूपेण (आपः इति विशेषण)

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

• मन्त्रेण: with the mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• प्रोक्षयेत्: should sprinkle
• प्रोक्षयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+उक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आत्मनः: of oneself
• आत्मनः: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), एकवचन

• तनुम्: body
• तनुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Revā Khaṇḍa narrative instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpottama (best of kings)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at the Narmadā’s edge performs prāṇāyāma, then sprinkles water over head and shoulders while softly reciting ‘Āpo hi ṣṭhā…’; the river glows with sanctity, with simple ascetic paraphernalia nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Prāṇāyāma
• Āpo hi ṣṭhā (mantra)
• Purification

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha-purification unites inner discipline (prāṇāyāma) with mantra-based sanctification of the body.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate chapter context includes Sāvitrī-tīrtha within the Revā Khaṇḍa, though this verse emphasizes the rite itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform prāṇāyāma for doṣa-kṣaya and do prokṣaṇa (sprinkling) while reciting the “Āpo hi ṣṭhā…” mantra.