Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

अथ किं बहुनोक्तेन शुभं वा यदि वाशुभम् । तदक्षयफलं सर्वं धौतपापे कृतं नृप

Transliteration

atha kiṃ bahunoktena śubhaṃ vā yadi vāśubham | tadakṣayaphalaṃ sarvaṃ dhautapāpe kṛtaṃ nṛpa

Translation

اے بادشاہ! زیادہ کہنے کی کیا حاجت؟ عمل نیک ہو یا بد، دھوتاپاپ میں کیا ہوا ہر کام اَمر پھل دیتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• अथ: now/then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, आरम्भ/अनन्तरार्थक (discourse connector)

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• बहुना: with much (talk)
• बहुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrumental)

• उक्तेन: by what is said; by speech
• उक्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वच् धातोः क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• शुभम्: good (deed/result)
• शुभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Disjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Disjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

• अशुभम्: evil (deed/result)
• अशुभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; निर्देश

• अक्षयफलम्: imperishable fruit/result
• अक्षयफलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षयफल (प्रातिपदिक; अक्षय + फल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• धौतपापे: in/at Dhauta-pāpa (the sin-cleansing place)
• धौतपापे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धौतपाप (प्रातिपदिक; धौत + पाप)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• कृतम्: done/performed
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; कृ धातोः क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, कर्मणि/भूतकर्म (done)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified narrator addressing the King (nṛpa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhautapāpa

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king); adjacent address to Pārtha suggests an epic-royal audience frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king listening to a sage on a riverbank; the tīrtha is depicted as a radiant ghat where offerings and vows become ‘sealed’ as imperishable fruit, shown by an unwithering kalpavṛkṣa or eternal lamp.

Characters & Entities

• Dhautapāpa Tīrtha
• Revā (Narmadā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha is portrayed as a uniquely charged sacred zone where deeds become enduring in their karmic yield.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhautapāpa Tīrtha on the Revā (Narmadā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single rite is isolated; the verse generalizes that all acts performed there obtain akṣaya (imperishable) results.