Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

अपि कृत्वा महापापं नारी वा पुरुषोऽथवा । यत्र स्नात्वा प्रसादान्मे विपाप्मा संभविष्यति

Transliteration

api kṛtvā mahāpāpaṃ nārī vā puruṣo'thavā | yatra snātvā prasādānme vipāpmā saṃbhaviṣyati

Translation

Even if one has committed a great sin—whether woman or man—by bathing at this place, through my grace one becomes free from sin.

Word by Word

• api: even
• api: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्भावना/अपि-शब्दः ‘even/also’

• kṛtvā: having done
• kṛtvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) ‘having done’

• mahā: great
• mahā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; (समासे पूर्वपद)

• pāpam: sin
• pāpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• nārī: a woman
• nārī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• vā: or
• vā: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive)

• puruṣaḥ: a man
• puruṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• athavā: or else
• athavā: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: athavā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक ‘or else’

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धसूचक देशवाचक (relative adverb)

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) ‘having bathed’

• prasādāt: from/through grace
• prasādāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prasāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• me: of me / my
• me: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (enclitic)

• vipāpmā: sinless, freed from sin
• vipāpmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-pāpman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण (बहुव्रीहिवत् प्रयोगः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘free from sin’

• saṃbhaviṣyati: will become
• saṃbhaviṣyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-bhū (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Śrī Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viṣakanyā (and the general pilgrim community)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A diverse group of pilgrims—men and women—bathe in the sacred waters; the water is depicted as luminous, symbolically washing away dark stains; Devī’s protective presence is shown above or within a shrine nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Devī
• Tīrtha (bathing place)
• Women
• Men

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Repentance and turning to a sanctified tīrtha with faith opens the door to purification through Divine grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter’s bathing tīrtha is praised as pāpa-hara (sin-removing) due to Devī’s abiding presence and favor.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at this tīrtha as a means of purification from sin.