Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 178

Devanagari script

महापापानि चत्वारि चतुर्भिर्यान्ति संक्षयम् । सोऽश्वमेधस्य यज्ञस्य लभते फलमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

mahāpāpāni catvāri caturbhiryānti saṃkṣayam | so'śvamedhasya yajñasya labhate phalamuttamam

Translation

มหาบาปทั้งสี่นี้ย่อมถึงความสิ้นไปด้วยสี่ (การปฏิบัติ) นั้น เขาย่อมได้ผลอันสูงสุดแห่งยัญญะอัศวเมธ

Word by Word

• महापापानि: great sins
• महापापानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन (nom pl); समासः—महानि पापानि (great sins)

• चत्वारि: four
• चत्वारि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण (numeral adj, neut nom pl)

• चतुर्भिः: by four (means)
• चतुर्भिः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन (instr pl); संख्याशब्द (by four)

• यान्ति: go, reach
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (present, 3rd pl)

• संक्षयम्: to destruction, to diminution
• संक्षयम्: Gati-karma (Goal/गतिकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (acc sg)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (nom sg)

• अश्वमेधस्य: of the Aśvamedha
• अश्वमेधस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (gen sg); समासः—अश्वस्य मेधः/मेधनम् (horse-sacrifice)

• यज्ञस्य: of the sacrifice
• यज्ञस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (gen sg)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (present, 3rd sg)

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (acc sg)

• उत्तमम्: supreme, excellent
• उत्तमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter acc sg)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (didactic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā tīrtha (with liṅga-sevā)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: four dark ‘sins’ dissolving into light as four streams of offering bathe a liṅga; in the background, a faint silhouette of a horse-sacrifice arena contrasted with the simple riverbank rite.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvamedha
• mahāpāpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa magnifies tīrtha-linked worship by equating its merit to the highest Vedic sacrifices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revākhaṇḍa Narmadā tīrtha context continues; its practices are said to yield extraordinary merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The “four” observances connected to the liṅga (from the prior verse) are said to exhaust four mahāpāpas.