Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

श्रुतिसिद्धं महापुण्यं ब्रह्महत्यादिशोधकम् । नीत्वा तत्र सुतं तेऽद्य स्नापयस्व महीपते

Transliteration

śrutisiddhaṃ mahāpuṇyaṃ brahmahatyādiśodhakam | nītvā tatra sutaṃ te'dya snāpayasva mahīpate

Translation

„Dieses heilige, durch die Veden bezeugte Ritual ist von höchstem Verdienst und reinigt selbst schwere Sünden wie die Brahmahatyā. Bring heute deinen Sohn dorthin und lass ihn baden, o König.“

Word by Word

• श्रुतिसिद्धम्: established by scripture
• श्रुतिसिद्धम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक) + सिद्ध (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; श्रुत्या सिद्धम् इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (by the authority of śruti, established)

• महापुण्यम्: very meritorious
• महापुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; महत् पुण्यम् इति कर्मधारय

• ब्रह्महत्यादिशोधकम्: purifier of brahma-slaughter etc. sins
• ब्रह्महत्यादिशोधकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + शोधक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ब्रह्महत्यादीनां शोधकम् इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• नीत्वा: having led (him)
• नीत्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); धातु: नी (to lead), परस्मैपदी; ‘having taken/led’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• सुतम्: son
• सुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ते: your
• ते: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (enclitic); ‘of you/your’

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• स्नापयस्व: bathe (him) / cause (him) to bathe
• स्नापयस्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative) ‘cause to bathe’

• महीपते: O king
• महीपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Jaimini (to King Nanda, by narrative context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhanuṣkoṭi (Setu-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage instructs a king to take his afflicted son to the sea-edge tīrtha; the horizon shows the Setu line, conch-shell waves, and pilgrims preparing for ritual bathing.

Characters & Entities

• Jaimini
• Nanda
• Dhanuṣkoṭi (implied ‘tatra’ in Setukhaṇḍa context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vedic-approved tīrtha-bathing, done with faith, is portrayed as a powerful purifier even for the gravest karmic stains.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhanuṣkoṭi in the Setukhaṇḍa (Setu region), indicated by the instruction “take him there” within this section’s narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at the tīrtha, undertaken immediately and specifically for the son.