Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

अर्चितः परया भक्त्या सोमनाथो युधिष्ठिर । पपौ सुविमलं तोयं सर्वपापक्षयंकरम्

Transliteration

arcitaḥ parayā bhaktyā somanātho yudhiṣṭhira | papau suvimalaṃ toyaṃ sarvapāpakṣayaṃkaram

Translation

اے یُدھشٹھِر! اس نے اعلیٰ ترین بھکتی سے سومناتھ کی پوجا کی، پھر نہایت شفاف پانی پیا—وہ پانی جو تمام گناہوں کا زوال کرنے والا ہے۔

Word by Word

• अर्चितः: was worshipped
• अर्चितः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अर्च् (धातु) क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (अर्चित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) used predicatively: ‘was worshipped’

• परया: with supreme
• परया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्; instrumental singular; qualifying भक्त्या

• भक्त्या: devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्; instrumental singular

• सोमनाथः: Somanātha (Lord of Soma; Śiva)
• सोमनाथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमनाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सोमस्य नाथः); nominative singular

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचनम्; vocative singular

• पपौ: drank
• पपौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पा (धातु) लिट्-लकारः (परस्मैपदम्)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; 3rd person singular perfect

• सुविमलम्: very pure
• सुविमलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + विमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयभावः (सु-विमलम्); accusative singular; qualifying तोयम्

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; accusative singular

• सर्वपापक्षयंकरम्: causing the destruction of all sins
• सर्वपापक्षयंकरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + पाप + क्षय + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां पापानां क्षयं करोति इति); accusative singular; qualifying तोयम्

Speaker

Unknown (narrator addressing Yudhiṣṭhira; likely a Purāṇic narrator in dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somanātha-tīrtha (local liṅga context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kaṇva stands before a Śiva-liṅga titled Somanātha, offering flowers and water with intense devotion; afterward he drinks crystal-clear tīrtha-water, radiant as if infused with mantra.

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Somanātha (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship of Śiva (Somanātha) and reverent use of tīrtha-water are presented as powerful means for purification and removal of sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to a sacred water-source connected to Somanātha within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s tīrtha landscape (the broader Saṅgama/tīrtha setting of this adhyāya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Arcana (worship) with intense bhakti and the taking of tīrtha-water (drinking/ācamana) as a purificatory act.