Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

सस्नौ तीर्थेषु कस्माच्च इतरो मुच्यते कथम् । अम्बरीषसुतां हृत्वा पर्वतान्नारदात्तथा

Transliteration

sasnau tīrtheṣu kasmācca itaro mucyate katham | ambarīṣasutāṃ hṛtvā parvatānnāradāttathā

Translation

One bathes in the sacred tīrthas—why then does suffering still remain? And how is another person released? Having abducted Ambarīṣa’s daughter from the mountain, and likewise (as heard) from Nārada—

Word by Word

• सस्नौ: bathed
• सस्नौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तीर्थेषु: in sacred fords/pilgrimage places
• तीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन

• कस्मात्: from what cause/why
• कस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय

• इतरः: the other (person)
• इतरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मुच्यते: is released
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (how)

• अम्बरीषसुताम्: Ambarīṣa's daughter
• अम्बरीषसुताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बरीष (प्रातिपदिक) + सुता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अम्बरीषस्य सुता)

• हृत्वा: having taken/abducted
• हृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• पर्वतात्: from the mountain
• पर्वतात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• नारदात्: from Nārada
• नारदात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (thus/likewise)

Speaker

Bāla (continuing reply; citing examples)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tīrthas (unspecified)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A questioning assembly: a speaker gestures toward a river-ghat (symbolic tīrtha) while a distant mountain scene foreshadows an abduction of a princess (Ambarīṣa’s daughter); Nārada appears as a messenger figure linking episodes.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrthas
• Ambarīṣa
• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External rites like tīrtha-bathing do not mechanically erase all consequences; individual karmic histories and divine dispensation explain differing outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tīrthas are mentioned generically; no specific pilgrimage site is named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-snāna (bathing at sacred places) is referenced, but not detailed.