Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

अद्वैतविज्ञानविवेकशून्या विरक्तिहीनाश्च समाधि हीनाः । यागाद्यनुष्ठानविवर्जिताश्च स्नात्वात्र यास्यंत्यमृतं द्विजेंद्राः

Transliteration

advaitavijñānavivekaśūnyā viraktihīnāśca samādhi hīnāḥ | yāgādyanuṣṭhānavivarjitāśca snātvātra yāsyaṃtyamṛtaṃ dvijeṃdrāḥ

Translation

O Bester der Brahmanen, selbst jene, denen die Unterscheidung der nicht-dualen Erkenntnis fehlt, die ohne Entsagung und ohne Samādhi sind und die Riten wie Opferhandlungen entbehren — durch ein Bad an diesem Ort gelangen sie dennoch zum Unsterblichen Zustand.

Word by Word

• अद्वैतविज्ञानविवेकशून्याः: devoid of discernment of non-dual knowledge
• अद्वैतविज्ञानविवेकशून्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्वैत + विज्ञान + विवेक + शून्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः)

• विरक्तिहीनाः: lacking dispassion
• विरक्तिहीनाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरक्ति + हीन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

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

• समाधिहीनाः: lacking samādhi
• समाधिहीनाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाधि + हीन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• हीनाः: deficient
• हीनाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (पुनरुक्ति-बलार्थम्)

• यागाद्यनुष्ठानविवर्जिताः: devoid of rites such as sacrifices and observances
• यागाद्यनुष्ठानविवर्जिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: याग + आदि + अनुष्ठान + विवर्जित (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्; ‘विवर्जित’ = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• यास्यन्ति: will go/attain
• यास्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अमृतम्: immortality/nectar (state of deathlessness)
• अमृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• द्विजेन्द्राः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजेन्द्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे अपि

Speaker

Narratorial voice (contextually Sūta relating the Setu-khaṇḍa to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Amṛta-vāpī (implied locus of ‘here’)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (dvijendrāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A diverse group of pilgrims—some simple, some learned—bathe in the sacred waters; above them, a subtle radiance suggests ‘amṛta’ and liberation; the scene emphasizes inclusivity and grace.

Characters & Entities

• Amṛta (Deathless state)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha’s grace is extraordinarily compassionate: sincere bathing here can uplift even those lacking higher disciplines.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The local Setu-khaṇḍa tīrtha context—especially the bathing place previously praised (Amṛta-vāpī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna ‘here’ (atra-snānā)—bathing at the tīrtha is presented as the decisive act leading to amṛtatva.