Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

वैष्णवीमिति मां मत्वा जनः सर्वाप्लुतो मयि । ये वै ब्रह्मणो लोके ये च वै गुरुतल्पगाः

Transliteration

vaiṣṇavīmiti māṃ matvā janaḥ sarvāpluto mayi | ye vai brahmaṇo loke ye ca vai gurutalpagāḥ

Translation

مجھے ‘وَیشنوِی’ سمجھ کر لوگ سب میرے اندر غوطہ زن ہوتے ہیں؛ یہاں تک کہ وہ بھی جو برہمن کے قاتل ہیں، اور وہ بھی جو گرو کے بستر کی حرمت توڑتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• वैष्णवीम्: (as) Vaiṣṇavī
• वैष्णवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैष्णवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्ति-निपात (quotative particle)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मत्वा: having thought/considered
• मत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• जनः: people
• जनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्व-आप्लुतः: wholly immersed
• सर्व-आप्लुतः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आप्लुत (कृदन्त; आ-प्लु-धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (जनः)

• मयि: in me
• मयि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā/of Brahman
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• गुरु-तल्प-गाः: those who violate the guru’s bed
• गुरु-तल्प-गाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + तल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (कृदन्त; गम्-धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘गुरुतल्पग’ = गुरोः तल्पं गच्छति इति (one who goes to the teacher’s bed; i.e., violator)

Speaker

Gaṅgā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Vaiṣṇavī)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viṣṇu

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Crowds immerse in Gaṅgā with folded hands; the river appears as a radiant goddess; dark stains/smoke-like motifs of sin dissolve into light as they bathe.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Viṣṇu (implied by ‘Vaiṣṇavī’)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faith in the sanctity of a tirtha and immersion in sacred waters is portrayed as a powerful means of purification, even for grave sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā as a supreme tirtha is glorified (within the Revā Khaṇḍa narration), emphasizing her Vaiṣṇava sanctity and purificatory power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna/immersion (āplava) in the sacred river is implied as an act of purification (prāyaścitta).