Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

तत्र स्नानं महापुण्यं ब्रह्महत्याविनाशनम् । दृश्यते रावणोऽद्यापि छायारूपेण तत्र वै

Transliteration

tatra snānaṃ mahāpuṇyaṃ brahmahatyāvināśanam | dṛśyate rāvaṇo'dyāpi chāyārūpeṇa tatra vai

Translation

Dort ist das Bad höchst verdienstvoll und vernichtet den Makel der Brahmahatyā. Wahrlich, noch heute wird Rāvaṇa dort in Gestalt eines Schattens gesehen.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महापुण्यम्: greatly meritorious
• महापुण्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् पुण्यम्) विशेषणम्

• ब्रह्महत्याविनाशनम्: destroying brahmahatyā
• ब्रह्महत्याविनाशनम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या (प्रातिपदिक) + विनाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्महत्यायाः विनाशनम्) विशेषणम्

• दृश्यते: is seen, appears
• दृश्यते: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान); प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive: is seen)

• रावणः: Rāvaṇa
• रावणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रावण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अद्यापि: even today, still
• अद्यापि: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययसमूहः; कालवाचक (even today/still)

• छायारूपेण: in the form of a shadow
• छायारूपेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/Mode)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छाया (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (छायायाः रूपम्)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• वै: indeed
• वै: Nipāta (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Deducted: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa narrating to sages (Setukhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmahatyā-vimocana tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims bathe at the ghāṭa; the water glows; in the background a faint, towering shadow silhouette of Rāvaṇa appears on rock or mist, seen by some as a lingering sign.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Brahmahatyā-vināśana snāna
• Tīrtha (at Setu/Rāmeśvaram)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is transformative when joined with purifying rites; sacred waters are portrayed as instruments of moral and spiritual cleansing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Brahmahatyā-vimocana tīrtha at Setu/Rāmeśvaram, famed for powerful purificatory bathing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bath) at the tīrtha, praised as mahāpuṇya and brahmahatyā-vināśana.