Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

यत्र वै स्नानमात्रेण ब्रह्महत्या प्रणश्यति । तस्यापि सन्निधौ पार्थ रेवाया उत्तरे तटे

Transliteration

yatra vai snānamātreṇa brahmahatyā praṇaśyati | tasyāpi sannidhau pārtha revāyā uttare taṭe

Translation

هناك حقًّا، بمجرد الاغتسال وحده تُمحى حتى خطيئة «براهمَهَتيا» (قتل البراهمن). يا بارثا، وذلك بقرب ذلك التيرثا، على الضفة الشمالية لنهر ريفا (Revā).

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक-अव्ययम् (relative adverb)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अनुनासिक-निपातः (particle)

• स्नानमात्रेण: by mere bathing
• स्नानमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचनम्; Neuter, Instrumental singular; तत्पुरुषः (स्नानस्य मात्रम्)

• ब्रह्महत्या: brahmin-slaying (sin)
• ब्रह्महत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; Feminine, Nominative singular

• प्रणश्यति: perishes
• प्रणश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्; Present, 3rd person singular, active

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचनम्; Pronoun, Genitive singular

• अपि: also
• अपि: Samuccaya (Addition/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-निपातः (particle: also/even)

• सन्निधौ: in the vicinity
• सन्निधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचनम्; Masculine, Locative singular

• पार्थ: O Pārtha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचनम्; Masculine, Vocative singular

• रेवायाः: of the Revā
• रेवायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचनम्; Feminine, Genitive singular

• उत्तरे: on the northern
• उत्तरे: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचनम्; Masculine, Locative singular (qualifying तटे)

• तटे: bank
• तटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचनम्; Masculine, Locative singular

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śukla-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Arjuna (Pārtha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the northern bank of the Revā, pilgrims immerse at Śukla-tīrtha; a radiant aura surrounds the water, symbolizing the dissolution of even brahma-hatyā; a sage points to the exact bank-side locus.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• Śukla-tīrtha (context)
• Pārtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrthas are portrayed as exceptionally compassionate: even grave sins are said to be dissolved through sincere contact, emphasizing divine mercy tied to sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The vicinity of Śukla-tīrtha on the northern bank of the Revā (Narmadā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bath/immersion) is explicitly prescribed as efficacious—even ‘snāna-mātra’ (by bathing alone).