Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

कथं वा पातका न्मुक्तो धनुष्कोटौ निमज्जनात् । एतच्छुश्रूषमाणानां विस्तराद्वद नो मुने

Transliteration

kathaṃ vā pātakā nmukto dhanuṣkoṭau nimajjanāt | etacchuśrūṣamāṇānāṃ vistarādvada no mune

Translation

كيف تحرّر حقًّا من الآثام بالغُمر في دهنوشكوتي؟ حدّثنا بذلك مفصّلًا، أيها الحكيم، فإنّا متشوّقون للسماع.

Word by Word

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb) — indeclinable

• वा: or; indeed
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (or/indeed) — particle

• पातकात्: from sin
• पातकात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन — Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• मुक्तः: freed
• मुक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; मुच् + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धनुष्कोटौ: at Dhanuṣkoṭi
• धनुष्कोटौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुष्कोटि (प्रातिपदिक; धनुष् + कोटि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Feminine, Locative, Singular

• निमज्जनात्: from immersion; by dipping
• निमज्जनात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमज्जन (प्रातिपदिक; नि + मज्ज् + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (हेतु/अपादान), एकवचन — Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• शुश्रूषमाणानाम्: of those who are eager to hear
• शुश्रूषमाणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुश्रूष् (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present participle, Ātmanepada sense), षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्यतः) — Genitive, Plural

• विस्तरात्: in detail
• विस्तरात्: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (रीत्या/प्रकारे), एकवचन — Masculine, Ablative, Singular (idiom: ‘in detail’)

• वद: tell
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Imperative, 2nd person, Singular

• नः: to us
• नः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अत्र चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान) — Dative, Plural

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

Sages (Munis)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhanuṣkoṭi

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages lean in with eager faces, hands joined, requesting ‘vistarāt’; behind them a faint imaginative tableau of a man immersing fully (nimajjana) in churning sea-water, symbolizing the washing away of sins.

Characters & Entities

• Dhanuṣkoṭi
• Sages

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tradition encourages attentive listening (śravaṇa) to tīrtha-māhātmya, which deepens faith in dharma and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhanuṣkoṭi, specifically its power to cleanse sins through immersion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nimajjana/snānā—ritual immersion at Dhanuṣkoṭi.