Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

तस्मिंस्तीर्थे तु यः पार्थ सर्पदष्टं प्रतर्पयेत् । स याति परमं लोकं शङ्करस्य वचो यथा

Transliteration

tasmiṃstīrthe tu yaḥ pārtha sarpadaṣṭaṃ pratarpayet | sa yāti paramaṃ lokaṃ śaṅkarasya vaco yathā

Translation

Hỡi Pārtha, ai tại thánh địa ấy làm cho người bị rắn cắn được an lòng và chăm sóc chu đáo, người ấy sẽ đạt đến cõi tối thượng, đúng như lời của Śaṅkara.

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — locative singular (demonstrative)

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

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — particle

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

• पार्थ: O Pārtha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — vocative singular

• सर्पदष्टम्: one bitten by a snake
• सर्पदष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प + दष्ट (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (सर्पेण दष्टः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — masculine accusative singular; object

• प्रतर्पयेत्: should propitiate/satisfy
• प्रतर्पयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-तृप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — optative 3rd person singular; causative/denominative sense ‘should satisfy/propitiate’

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

• याति: goes/attains
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — present indicative 3rd person singular

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — masculine accusative singular; qualifies लोकम्

• लोकम्: world/realm
• लोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — masculine accusative singular

• शङ्करस्य: of Śaṅkara
• शङ्करस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/authority/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — masculine genitive singular

• वचः: word/statement
• वचः: Pramana (Authority/quotation basis)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — neuter nominative/accusative singular

• यथा: as/according to
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative/quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमान/प्रकारवाचक) — indeclinable ‘as/according to’

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkhacūḍa-tīrtha (continuation)

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the ghāṭa, a pilgrim tends a serpent-bitten traveler—supporting him, offering water and herbs—while the shrine and river remain in view; a subtle presence of Śiva as witness is suggested by a faint aura or trident motif.

Characters & Entities

• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Śaṅkhacūḍa Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-merit is not only ritual; compassionate service to the afflicted becomes a direct cause of supreme spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Śaṅkhacūḍa-associated tīrtha on the Narmadā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practical dharma: aiding and sustaining a person bitten by a snake while at the tīrtha.