Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तस्मिंस्तीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा पापकर्मापि भारत । न पश्यति महाघोरं नरकद्वारसंज्ञिकम्

Transliteration

tasmiṃstīrthe naraḥ snātvā pāpakarmāpi bhārata | na paśyati mahāghoraṃ narakadvārasaṃjñikam

Translation

اے بھارت، اُس تیرتھ میں اشنان کرنے سے گناہوں کے بوجھ تلے دبا ہوا انسان بھی ‘نرک دوار’ کہلانے والی نہایت ہولناک جگہ کو نہیں دیکھتا۔

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; निर्देश (in that)

• तीर्थे: at the pilgrimage place
• तीर्थे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्थानाधिकरण

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तृपद

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वक्रिया (having bathed)

• पापकर्मा: one of sinful deeds
• पापकर्मा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नरः इति विशेषणम्

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (even/also)

• भारत: O Bhārata (descendant of Bharata)
• भारत: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• महाघोरम्: very terrible
• महाघोरम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; नरकद्वारसंज्ञिकम् इति विशेषणम्

• नरकद्वारसंज्ञिकम्: called ‘the gate of hell’
• नरकद्वारसंज्ञिकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नरक + द्वार + संज्ञिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (महाघोरम्) विशेष्य; ‘नरकद्वार’ इति संज्ञा यस्य (called ‘the gate of hell’)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual narrator in the dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Anarakeśvara (implied by prior verse)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (addressed as Bhārata)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim bathing in Narmadā at dawn near a Śiva shrine; behind, a shadowy ‘gate of hell’ motif dissolves into mist, signifying sins being cut off.

Characters & Entities

• Bhārata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-snāna, when performed with faith, is portrayed as powerful enough to block the soul’s approach to dreadful hellish destinies.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha within the Revā Khaṇḍa (Narmadā sacred geography); the verse refers to ‘that tīrtha’ already introduced in the surrounding passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at the specified tīrtha.