Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

स्मृत्वा यं सेतुमध्ये तु स्नानं कुर्याद्द्विजोत्तमाः । महापातकिसंसर्गदोषस्तस्य लयं व्रजेत्

Transliteration

smṛtvā yaṃ setumadhye tu snānaṃ kuryāddvijottamāḥ | mahāpātakisaṃsargadoṣastasya layaṃ vrajet

Translation

O Bester der Zweimalgeborenen: Wenn einer inmitten des Setu badet und dabei Seiner gedenkt, dann geht die Schuld, die aus dem Umgang mit großen Sündern entsteht, in Auflösung und vergeht.

Word by Word

• स्मृत्वा: having remembered
• स्मृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• यम्: whom/which
• यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• सेतुमध्ये: in the middle of the Setu
• सेतुमध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेतु + मध्य
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• द्विजोत्तमाः: best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (उत्तमाः द्विजाः)

• महापातकिसंसर्गदोषः: the fault of association with great sinners
• महापातकिसंसर्गदोषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महापातकि (प्रातिपदिक) + संसर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (महापातकिना सह संसर्गः तस्य दोषः)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• लयम्: dissolution/cessation
• लयम्: Gati-Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• व्रजेत्: would go/should go (to)
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (dvijottamāḥ)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu (Setu-madhya)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dvija pilgrim stands waist-deep in clear sea-water at Setu-madhya, eyes closed in remembrance, hands in añjali; faint divine presence suggested (Śiva-liṅga aura or Rāma’s name as light).

Characters & Entities

• Setu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is not merely physical: remembrance of the divine combined with tīrtha-bathing is taught as a purifier even of subtle social-spiritual taints.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu, particularly “setu-madhya,” the central sacred bathing zone.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at Setu accompanied by smaraṇa (devotional remembrance) of the Lord.