Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

तथा यज्ञक्रियार्हश्च चंडालत्वविवर्जितः । नास्ति तत्पातकं यच्च तीर्थस्नानान्न नश्यति

Transliteration

tathā yajñakriyārhaśca caṃḍālatvavivarjitaḥ | nāsti tatpātakaṃ yacca tīrthasnānānna naśyati

Translation

So wirst du wieder würdig, die Opferhandlungen des Yajña zu vollziehen, frei vom Zustand eines Caṇḍāla. Es gibt keine Sünde, die nicht durch das Bad in den heiligen Tīrthas vergeht.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus; likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner: “thus/likewise”)

• यज्ञक्रियार्हः: worthy of performing sacrificial rites
• यज्ञक्रियार्हः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यज्ञ-क्रिया-र्ह (प्रातिपदिक); अर्ह (अर्ह् धातु/प्रातिपदिक-आधारित विशेषण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः षष्ठी/तत्पुरुषः—“यज्ञक्रियायाः अर्हः” (worthy of sacrificial rites)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction “and”)

• चण्डालत्वविवर्जितः: free from caṇḍāla-hood; not a caṇḍāla
• चण्डालत्वविवर्जितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चण्डालत्व-विवर्जित (प्रातिपदिक); विवर्जित (वि+वृज् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; Kridanta-adjectival base used as subanta)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण; समासः पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुषः—“चण्डालत्वात् विवर्जितः” (free from the state of being a caṇḍāla)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation marker/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• अस्ति: is; exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; ‘पातकम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण (that)

• पातकम्: sin; grave fault
• पातकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय-रूपेण (subject complement with अस्ति)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक यत्-शब्दः (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अन्वयबोधक (linking particle)

• तीर्थस्नानात्: from/through bathing at a tīrtha
• तीर्थस्नानात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ-स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अपादान (ablative of cause/source); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—“तीर्थस्य स्नानम्” (bathing at a sacred ford)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation marker/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• नश्यति: perishes; is destroyed
• नश्यति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (नश् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Viśvāmitra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (standard Sūta frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A penitent figure at a river-ford, guided by a sage, performing snāna; the water glows as if washing away dark stains, while ritual implements (kuśa, kamaṇḍalu) signify restored yajña-eligibility.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred bathing (tīrtha-snānā) is celebrated as a powerful purifier that restores dharmic fitness and removes sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement is universal—glorifying tīrthas broadly rather than one named location, within the chapter’s pilgrimage framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-snānā (bathing at holy fords) is prescribed as expiation, leading to regained eligibility for yajña and other rites.