Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

अगम्यागमना यानि अस्पर्शस्पर्शनादि च । भस्मीभवंति लोकानां धर्मारण्यावगाहनात्

Transliteration

agamyāgamanā yāni asparśasparśanādi ca | bhasmībhavaṃti lokānāṃ dharmāraṇyāvagāhanāt

Translation

Sünden wie das Nahen zum Verbotenen und das Berühren dessen, was nicht berührt werden darf, werden für die Menschen zu Asche durch das Untertauchen, das Bad, in Dharmāraṇya.

Word by Word

• अगम्यागमनानि: illicit goings/approaches (to the forbidden)
• अगम्यागमनानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगम्य + आगमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विषय (illicit approaches/acts)

• यानि: which
• यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun referring to sins)

• अस्पर्शस्पर्शनादि: (sins) like touching what should not be touched, etc.
• अस्पर्शस्पर्शनादि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्पर्श + स्पर्शन + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन-समासान्त-प्रयोग (collective); विषय (e.g., touching the untouchable)

• च: and
• च: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• भस्मीभवन्ति: turn to ashes
• भस्मीभवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भस्मी-भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; परिणामवाचक (become ashes)

• लोकानाम्: of people
• लोकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (of people)

• धर्मारण्यावगाहनात्: from bathing/immersing in Dharmāraṇya
• धर्मारण्यावगाहनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मारण्य + अवगाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अपादान (ablative: from immersion/bathing in Dharmāraṇya)

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims immersing in sacred waters within a forest setting; dark smoke-like forms symbolizing sins dissolve into ash and vanish as the bather submerges; sunlight shafts and lotus blooms signify purification.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmāraṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred bathing (avagāhana) in a celebrated tīrtha is portrayed as a potent purifier capable of burning away deep moral defilements.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya, specifically through the act of ‘avagāhana’ (immersion/bathing) there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avagāhana/snānā—ritual immersion or bathing in Dharmāraṇya.