Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तत्र तीर्थे तु यः स्नात्वा पूजयित्वा महेश्वरम् । अग्निप्रवेशं कुरुते स गच्छेदग्निसाम्यताम्

Transliteration

tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ snātvā pūjayitvā maheśvaram | agnipraveśaṃ kurute sa gacchedagnisāmyatām

Translation

اس تیرتھ میں جو شخص غسل کرکے مہیشور کی پوجا کرے اور پھر آگ میں داخل ہو، وہ اگنی کی مانند ہو جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) — adverb 'there'

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी, एकवचन — locative singular

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात; अवधान/विरोध) — particle 'indeed/but'

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन — nominative singular; relative pronoun

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) — having bathed

• पूजयित्वा: having worshipped
• पूजयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) — having worshipped

• महेश्वरम्: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; महा + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचन — accusative singular

• अग्निप्रवेशम्: entry into fire
• अग्निप्रवेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि-प्रवेश (प्रातिपदिक; अग्नि + प्रवेश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचन — accusative singular

• कुरुते: does / undertakes
• कुरुते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकाल), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद — present, 3rd sg, middle

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन — nominative singular; correlative pronoun

• गच्छेत्: would attain / should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद — optative, 3rd sg, active

• अग्निसाम्यताम्: equality with Agni
• अग्निसाम्यताम्: Gati/Karma (Goal as object/गति-लक्ष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि-साम्यता (प्रातिपदिक; अग्नि + साम्यता)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया, एकवचन — accusative singular; गत्यर्थक-क्रियायाः फल (goal)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vahni-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahīpāla (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a river ford, a devotee emerges from snāna, offers bilva and water to a Śiva-liṅga shrine, then approaches a consecrated fire; Agni appears as a radiant deity blessing the act.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Agni
• Vahni-tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity (snāna) joined with devotion to Śiva is presented as a transformative path leading to divine-like attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vahni-tīrtha on the Narmadā, where worship of Maheśvara is especially efficacious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe at the tīrtha, worship Maheśvara, and (as stated in the text) perform agni-praveśa—entry into fire.