Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

पुरा त्रिशिरसं हत्वा त्वष्टुः पुत्रं शतक्रतुः । यस्य तीर्थस्य माहात्म्याद्वैमल्यं परमं गतः

Transliteration

purā triśirasaṃ hatvā tvaṣṭuḥ putraṃ śatakratuḥ | yasya tīrthasya māhātmyādvaimalyaṃ paramaṃ gataḥ

Translation

กาลก่อน เมื่อศตกรตุ (อินทรา) ได้สังหารตรีศิรัส บุตรแห่งตวษฏฤแล้ว ด้วยมหิมาแห่งทีรถะนี้ พระองค์บรรลุความบริสุทธิ์สูงสุด

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly; once
• पुरा: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (adverb of time: formerly)

• त्रिशिरसम्: Triśiras (the three-headed one)
• त्रिशिरसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular); कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषः (त्रीणि शिरांसि यस्य)

• हत्वा: having killed
• हत्वा: Purvakala-Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having slain)

• त्वष्टुः: of Tvaṣṭṛ
• त्वष्टुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वष्टृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• पुत्रम्: son
• पुत्रम्: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• शतक्रतुः: Śatakratu (Indra)
• शतक्रतुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत + क्रतु (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); तत्पुरुषः (शतं क्रतवो यस्य)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive, Singular; relative pronoun)

• तीर्थस्य: of the tīrtha
• तीर्थस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Genitive, Singular)

• माहात्म्यात्: from/through the greatness (power)
• माहात्म्यात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Ablative, Singular)

• वैमल्यम्: purity; stainlessness
• वैमल्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैमल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• परमम्: supreme; highest
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• गतः: attained; went to
• गतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vimaleśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra (Śatakratu) stands humbled at the Vimaleśvara ford, performing snāna and worship; the shadow of the slain Triśiras and the weight of guilt dissolve into radiant purity around Indra, while sages witness the transformation.

Characters & Entities

• Triśiras
• Tvaṣṭṛ
• Śatakratu (Indra)
• Vimaleśvara Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even grave karmic burdens can be cleansed through the sanctifying power of a great tīrtha when approached with reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vimaleśvara Tīrtha, whose māhātmya is said to bestow ‘vaimalya’ (purity).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; the verse provides an itihāsa-style proof of the tīrtha’s purifying potency.