Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

यथा दिनकरस्पृष्टं हिमं शैलाद्विशीर्यन्ते । तद्वद्विलीयते पापं स्पृष्टं भस्मकणैः शुभैः

Transliteration

yathā dinakaraspṛṣṭaṃ himaṃ śailādviśīryante | tadvadvilīyate pāpaṃ spṛṣṭaṃ bhasmakaṇaiḥ śubhaiḥ

Translation

جس طرح پہاڑ کی برف سورج کی چھو سے پگھل جاتی ہے، اسی طرح مقدّس بھسم کے مبارک ذروں کے لمس سے گناہ بھی گھل کر مٹ جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparative/Upamā)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्बन्ध/उपमा-बोधक अव्यय) — indeclinable, comparative marker “as/just as”

• dinakara-spṛṣṭam: touched by the sun
• dinakara-spṛṣṭam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of himam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dinakara (प्रातिपदिक) + spṛṣṭa (कृदन्त; √spṛś स्पृश्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘स्पृष्ट’ — neuter, nominative/accusative singular; past passive participle “touched (by)”

• himam: snow/ice
• himam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hima (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — neuter, accusative singular

• śailāt: from the mountain
• śailāt: Apādāna (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन — masculine, ablative singular

• viśīryante: they crumble/disintegrate
• viśīryante: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śṝ (शॄ/शॄञ्) + vi- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद — present indicative, 3rd person plural, middle

• tadvat: likewise
• tadvat: Sambandha (Comparative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमा/तुलना-बोधक) — indeclinable “likewise/so”

• vilīyate: melts/dissolves
• vilīyate: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √lī (ली) + vi- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद — present indicative, 3rd person singular, middle

• pāpam: sin
• pāpam: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — neuter, nominative/accusative singular

• spṛṣṭam: touched
• spṛṣṭam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of pāpam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: spṛṣṭa (कृदन्त; √spṛś स्पृश्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त — neuter, nominative/accusative singular; PPP “touched”

• bhasma-kaṇaiḥ: by particles of ash
• bhasma-kaṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhasma (प्रातिपदिक) + kaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — masculine, instrumental plural

• śubhaiḥ: auspicious/pure
• śubhaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — masculine, instrumental plural; विशेषण (bhasma-kaṇaiḥ)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) [deduced]

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A snow-clad mountain peak under a rising sun; in the foreground a Śaiva devotee applies sacred ash, visually linking melting snow to dissolving sin.

Characters & Entities

• Bhasma (sacred ash)
• Sun (dinakara)
• Mountain snow

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred ash, tied to Śiva’s tradition, is portrayed as a potent purifier that rapidly dissolves sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Revā-tīra māhātmya context; the teaching supports ash-based Śaiva practice at the Narmadā’s bank.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Contact with bhasma—i.e., bhasma-dhāraṇa/bhasma-vilepana (wearing or smearing sacred ash).