Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

पापोपपातकैर्युक्ता महापातकिनोऽपि ये । मुच्यन्ते सर्वपापेभ्यो भक्त्या स्नात्वा तु शंकर

Transliteration

pāpopapātakairyuktā mahāpātakino'pi ye | mucyante sarvapāpebhyo bhaktyā snātvā tu śaṃkara

Translation

即便背负罪业与诸般过失者，乃至大罪人，尚伽罗啊，只要以虔敬沐浴，便能从一切罪中解脱。

Word by Word

• पाप: sin
• पाप: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• उपपातकैः: with minor sins
• उपपातकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपपातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• युक्ताः: endowed/associated
• युक्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (महापातकिनः)

• महापातकिनः: great sinners
• महापातकिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महापातकिन् (प्रातिपदिक; महा + पातकिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/concessive)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• मुच्यन्ते: are released
• मुच्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• सर्वपापेभ्यः: from all sins
• सर्वपापेभ्यः: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वपाप (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + पाप)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), बहुवचन

• भक्त्या: by devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/contrast)

• शंकर: O Śaṅkara
• शंकर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sarid (the River-goddess; Revā/Narmadā in context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-snānā (Narmadā bathing)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a river ghāṭa, people of varied backgrounds—including visibly remorseful sinners—enter the water with folded hands; above, Śaṅkara’s presence (liṅga or subtle divine form) signifies grace; the water is depicted as luminous, washing away dark stains symbolizing pāpa.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion (bhakti) joined to tīrtha-bathing is taught as a potent means of purification, extending even to grave wrongdoing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā tīrtha and its power to cleanse sins.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhaktyā snāna—bathing/immersion performed with devotion.