Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

सेतुस्नानं मोक्षदं हि मनःशुद्धिप्रदं तथा । जपाद्धोमात्तथा दानाद्यागाच्च तपसोऽपि च

Transliteration

setusnānaṃ mokṣadaṃ hi manaḥśuddhipradaṃ tathā | japāddhomāttathā dānādyāgācca tapaso'pi ca

Translation

Das heilige Bad in Setu gewährt wahrlich Moksha und verleiht zugleich Reinheit des Geistes—es übertrifft sogar Japa, Homa, Almosen, Opfer (Yajña) und Askese (Tapas).

Word by Word

• सेतुस्नानम्: bathing at Setu
• सेतुस्नानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेतु (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सेतोः स्नानम्)

• मोक्षदम्: granting liberation
• मोक्षदम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + द (√दा धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः, कृदन्त (द-प्रत्ययः) — ‘मोक्षं ददाति’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• मनःशुद्धिप्रदम्: bestowing purity of mind
• मनःशुद्धिप्रदम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (√दा धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मनसः शुद्धेः प्रदम्), कृदन्त (प्रद = ‘प्र’+√दा)

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• जपात्: from/than (the merit of) japa
• जपात्: Apadana/Comparison (अपादान/तुलना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; ‘जपात्’ (ablative: from/than japa)

• होमात्: from/than (the merit of) homa
• होमात्: Apadana/Comparison (अपादान/तुलना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण

• दानात्: from/than (the merit of) giving
• दानात्: Apadana/Comparison (अपादान/तुलना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• यागात्: from/than (the merit of) sacrifice
• यागात्: Apadana/Comparison (अपादान/तुलना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• तपसः: from/than (the merit of) austerity
• तपसः: Apadana/Comparison (अपादान/तुलना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th) एकवचन (वैकल्पिक-रूपेण षष्ठी 6th एकवचन अपि); अत्र ‘तपसः’ = ‘तपसात्’ (ablative sense)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

Speaker

Unknown (Setukhaṇḍa narrative voice; context not provided in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu (Setubandha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottamāḥ (addressed audience of brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at the sea-shore of Setu at dawn, performing snāna with folded hands; distant line of stones/sandbar evoking the Setu; priests with waterpots and lamps; a serene, purifying atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Setu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Setu-snāna is praised as a direct purifier of the mind and a cause of mokṣa, elevated above many other meritorious acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu Tīrtha (Setu), traditionally identified with the sacred Setu/Rāma-setu region associated with pilgrimage and purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing snāna (ritual bathing) at Setu; it is compared favorably to japa, homa, dāna, yāga, and tapas.