Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तत्र तीर्थे तु यः स्नात्वा सोपवासो जितेन्द्रियः । जपेदेकाक्षरं मन्त्रमूर्ध्वबाहुर्दिवाकरे

Transliteration

tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ snātvā sopavāso jitendriyaḥ | japedekākṣaraṃ mantramūrdhvabāhurdivākare

Translation

Tại tīrtha ấy, ai tắm gội xong rồi giữ chay (upavāsa), chế ngự các căn, giơ hai tay hướng về Mặt Trời và trì tụng thần chú một âm—

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb: there)

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place of pilgrimage
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: None (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोधसूचक (particle: indeed/but)

• यः: whoever
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + त्वा (कृत्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया: ‘having bathed’

• स: he
• स: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक सर्वनाम

• उपवासः: (being) fasting
• उपवासः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘उपवास’ = fasting (as state)

• जितेन्द्रियः: self-controlled (having conquered the senses)
• जितेन्द्रियः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास (whose senses are conquered); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘स’ इति विशेषणम्

• जपेत्: should chant
• जपेत्: Kriya (Injunction/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; विध्यर्थ: ‘should recite’

• एकाक्षरम्: one-syllabled
• एकाक्षरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगुसमास (numeral compound: one-syllabled); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘मन्त्रम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• मन्त्रम्: mantra
• मन्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• ऊर्ध्वबाहुः: with arms raised
• ऊर्ध्वबाहुः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक) + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास (one whose arms are raised); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषण (of ‘स’)

• दिवाकरे: at the sun (i.e., in daytime / facing the sun)
• दिवाकरे: Adhikarana (Time/Occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवाकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; ‘दिवाकर’ = सूर्य

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhīmeśvara

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍavaśreṣṭha (likely Yudhiṣṭhira)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At sunrise or strong daylight, a pilgrim stands after bathing, wet hair tied, arms raised (ūrdhva-bāhu) toward the Sun, eyes focused, fasting posture; nearby is the Bhīmeśvara shrine and riverbank steps.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Divākara (Sun)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is intensified when pilgrimage bathing is joined with self-restraint, fasting, and mantra-japa performed with reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The referenced tīrtha is the Bhīmeśvara-associated sacred site described in the surrounding verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at the tīrtha, upavāsa (fasting), indriya-jaya (sense control), and ekākṣara-mantra japa facing the Sun with uplifted arms.