Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

अस्ति पापहरं पुंसां सर्वाभीष्टप्रदायकम् । यत्र स्नात्वा नरो भक्त्या सर्वान्कामानवाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

asti pāpaharaṃ puṃsāṃ sarvābhīṣṭapradāyakam | yatra snātvā naro bhaktyā sarvānkāmānavāpnuyāt

Translation

Es gibt ein heiliges Tīrtha, das die Sünden der Menschen tilgt und alle ersehnten Wünsche gewährt. Wer dort in Hingabe badet, erlangt alle Ziele.

Word by Word

• अस्ति: there is / exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present indicative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• पापहरम्: sin-removing
• पापहरम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप-हर (प्रातिपदिक; पाप + हर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjectival)

• पुंसाम्: of men
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस्/पुम्स् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सर्वाभीष्टप्रदायकम्: giver of all desired things
• सर्वाभीष्टप्रदायकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-अभीष्ट-प्रदायक (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + अभीष्ट + प्रदायक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjectival)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक-सम्बन्धबोधक (relative adverb of place: 'where')

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• कामान्: desires
• कामान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अवाप्नुयात्: may obtain
• अवाप्नुयात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Deductive: a Purāṇic narrator within Setukhaṇḍa (likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sādhyāmṛta

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim couple and ascetics at a luminous coastal tīrtha; the sea-horizon and a small shrine; the devotee enters the water with folded hands as divine light rises from the waves.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional bathing at a praised tīrtha is presented as a direct means for sin-removal and fulfilment of righteous desires.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse introduces the sin-destroying tīrtha later identified in this passage as Sādhyāmṛta-jala/tīrtha within the Setukhaṇḍa (Setu Māhātmya).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) performed with bhakti (devotion).