Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । अश्वत्थामा कथं सूत सुप्तमारणमाचरत् । कथं च मुक्तस्तत्पापाद्धनुष्कोटौ निमज्जनात्

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | aśvatthāmā kathaṃ sūta suptamāraṇamācarat | kathaṃ ca muktastatpāpāddhanuṣkoṭau nimajjanāt

Translation

Die ṛṣis sprachen: O Sūta, wie beging Aśvatthāmā das Töten der Schlafenden? Und wie wurde er von jener Sünde befreit durch das Untertauchen in Dhanuskoṭi?

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• अश्वत्थामा: Aśvatthāmā
• अश्वत्थामा: Karta (Subject of subordinate clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वत्थामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नवाचक/interrogative adverb)

• सूत: O Sūta
• सूत: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• सुप्तमारणम्: killing of one who was asleep
• सुप्तमारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुप्त + मारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सुप्तस्य मारणम्)

• आचरत्: did/committed
• आचरत्: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चर् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नवाचक/interrogative adverb)

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

• मुक्तः: freed
• मुक्तः: Karta/Predicate (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; क्तान्त (past passive participle)

• तत्पापात्: from that sin
• तत्पापात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (तत् पापम्)

• धनुष्कोटौ: at Dhanushkoṭi
• धनुष्कोटौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुष् + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष

• निमज्जनात्: by (the act of) immersion
• निमज्जनात्: Hetu (Cause/Instrumental cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नि-√मज्ज् (धातु) + अन (प्रत्यय; भाववाचक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; भावकृदन्त (action noun)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (sages) addressing Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhanuskoṭi

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Forest hermitage assembly: sages question Sūta about Aśvatthāmā’s night-time killing and subsequent purification at Dhanuskoṭi; juxtapose dark night violence with bright sea-bath redemption imagery.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣis
• Sūta
• Aśvatthāmā
• Dhanuskoṭi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even grave wrongdoing is framed as addressable through prāyaścitta and tīrtha-grace, prompting inquiry into dharma and purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhanuskoṭi, highlighted as a place where immersion can remove severe sin.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nimajjana (ritual immersion) at Dhanuskoṭi as a means of release from sin.