Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

नदी वैतरणी दृष्टा सर्वपापप्रणाशिनी । शीतलं सलिलं यत्र पिबन्ति ह्यमृतोपमम्

Transliteration

nadī vaitaraṇī dṛṣṭā sarvapāpapraṇāśinī | śītalaṃ salilaṃ yatra pibanti hyamṛtopamam

Translation

他们见到瓦伊塔拉尼河（Vaitaraṇī），能灭尽诸罪；其水清凉，人们饮之，宛如甘露（amṛta）一般。

Word by Word

• नदी: a river
• नदी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वैतरणी: Vaitaraṇī (river name)
• वैतरणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (apposition to नदी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैतरणी (प्रातिपदिक/नदी-नाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (proper noun)

• दृष्टा: was seen
• दृष्टा: Karma (Object/कर्म) (implicit, in passive sense)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त/भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; predicative passive sense = 'was seen'

• सर्वपापप्रणाशिनी: destroying all sins
• सर्वपापप्रणाशिनी: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रणाशिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः = 'destroyer of all sins' (षष्ठी-संबन्ध)

• शीतलम्: cool
• शीतलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; agrees with सलिलम्

• सलिलम्: water
• सलिलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक/सम्बन्धबोधक अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• पिबन्ति: they drink
• पिबन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• अमृतोपमम्: nectar-like
• अमृतोपमम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक) + उपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; उपमान-तत्पुरुषः = 'like nectar'

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaitaraṇī

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cool, luminous river in Yama’s realm—Vaitaraṇī—whose waters appear nectar-like to some; pilgrims/souls cup the water in their hands and drink with relief.

Characters & Entities

• Vaitaraṇī River

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is portrayed as real and experiential in Purāṇic cosmology—sin is not merely ‘forgiven’ but washed away through dharmic order and sacred currents.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vaitaraṇī is presented as a purifying river in the afterlife landscape; within the chapter’s arc it complements the Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-merit theme by contrast and symbolism.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse describes drinking the cool waters as nectar-like, emphasizing cleansing and relief.