Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

तप्तशूलं तप्तशिलां पुरी षह्रदमेव च । तथा शोणितकूपं च सेतुस्नायी न पश्यति

Transliteration

taptaśūlaṃ taptaśilāṃ purī ṣahradameva ca | tathā śoṇitakūpaṃ ca setusnāyī na paśyati

Translation

Wer in Setu badet, erblickt nicht die Höllen namens Glühender Speer, Glühender Fels, See des Unrats und Brunnen des Blutes.

Word by Word

• तप्तशूलम्: heated spear/trident (torture)
• तप्तशूलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तप्त (कृदन्त, √तप्) + शूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (तप्तं शूलम्)

• तप्तशिलाम्: heated rock/slab
• तप्तशिलाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तप्त (कृदन्त, √तप्) + शिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (तप्तां शिलाम्)

• पुरीम्: city (of torment)
• पुरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• षह्रदम्: (a) lake/pond (name/term unclear)
• षह्रदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षह्रद (प्रातिपदिक; पाठभेद/दुर्लभ-शब्द)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Modifier (Avyaya/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Connector (Samuccaya/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Modifier (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• शोणितकूपम्: pit/well of blood
• शोणितकूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोणित (प्रातिपदिक) + कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शोणितस्य कूपः)

• च: and
• च: Connector (Samuccaya/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• सेतुस्नायी: one who bathes at Setu
• सेतुस्नायी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेतु (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नायी (कृदन्त, √स्ना; नित्य-प्रयोग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—सप्तमी/तत्पुरुष-भाव (सेतौ स्नायी = who bathes at Setu)

• न: not
• न: Negation (Nishedha/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• पश्यति: sees/experiences
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual attribution within Brāhma Khaṇḍa Māhātmya style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setutīrtha (Setubandha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (addressed as ‘viprāḥ’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at the sea-shore of Setu performs snāna at dawn; behind him loom symbolic visions of hells—heated spear, heated rock, excrement-lake, blood-well—dissolving into ocean mist as divine protection descends.

Characters & Entities

• Setu (Setubandha/Rāmeśvara region)
• Naraka (hell-realms)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Setu-snāna is proclaimed as a powerful purifier that prevents the devotee from falling into severe hell-realms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu—identified with Setubandha/Rāmeśvara sacred geography in the Skanda Purana’s Setu Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (holy bathing) at Setu.