Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

स्नानं समाचरेद्भक्त्या स लभेन्मौक्तिकं फलम् । यस्तु भोजयते विप्रांस्तस्मिंस्तीर्थे नराधिप

Transliteration

snānaṃ samācaredbhaktyā sa labhenmauktikaṃ phalam | yastu bhojayate viprāṃstasmiṃstīrthe narādhipa

Translation

หากเขาอาบน้ำที่นั่นด้วยภักติ เขาย่อมได้ผลบุญประดุจมุกดาอันล้ำค่า และผู้ใดเลี้ยงภัตตาหารแก่พราหมณ์ ณ ตีรถะนั้นเอง ข้าแต่องค์ราชา—

Word by Word

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• समाचरेत्: should perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), तृतीया (instrumental), एकवचन (singular)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• मौक्तिकम्: pearl-like, excellent
• मौक्तिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मौक्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular); विशेषणम्

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• तु: but, however
• तु: Sambandha/Contrast (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• भोजयते: feeds (causes to eat)
• भोजयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु) [णिच् causative: भोजय-]
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); णिजन्त (causative)

• विप्रान्: brahmins
• विप्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (accusative), बहुवचन (plural)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (contextual), सप्तमी (locative), एकवचन (singular)

• तीर्थे: at the pilgrimage-place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (locative), एकवचन (singular)

• नराधिप: O king (lord of men)
• नराधिप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन (singular); तत्पुरुषसमास

Speaker

Unspecified Purāṇic narrator (addressing a king: narādhipa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devatīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (narādhipa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee bathing at the ghat with folded hands; the water glints like pearls; nearby, a simple feeding pavilion where Brahmins are respectfully served food.

Characters & Entities

• Devatīrtha
• Vipras (Brahmins)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion transforms ritual into profound merit; charity (feeding the worthy) amplifies tīrtha-benefits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Devatīrtha in the Revā (Narmadā) region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (sacred bathing) with bhakti, and vipra-bhojana (feeding Brahmins) at the tīrtha.