Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

धनुर्द्विशत्या तीर्थं च पापमोचनसंज्ञकम् । सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा तत्र स्नानेन मानवः । जायते तत्क्षणादेव नात्र कार्या विचारणा

Transliteration

dhanurdviśatyā tīrthaṃ ca pāpamocanasaṃjñakam | sarvapāpaviśuddhātmā tatra snānena mānavaḥ | jāyate tatkṣaṇādeva nātra kāryā vicāraṇā

Translation

And at a distance of two hundred dhanus is a tīrtha called Pāpamocana, ‘the Remover of Sin’. By bathing there, a person instantly becomes purified in soul from all sins—of this there is no need for doubt or deliberation.

Word by Word

• धनुःद्विशत्या: by a measure of two hundred bows
• धनुःद्विशत्या: करण/परिमाण (Measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक) + द्विशत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (धनुषां द्विशत्या = 200 धनु-परिमाणेन), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्विशती), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford (tīrtha)
• तीर्थम्: विषय/कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक

• पापमोचनसंज्ञकम्: named ‘Sin-removal’
• पापमोचनसंज्ञकम्: विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पापमोचन + संज्ञक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पापमोचन इति संज्ञा यस्य), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तीर्थ-विशेषण

• सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा: one whose self is purified of all sins
• सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा: कर्ता (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वपाप + विशुद्ध + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (सर्वपापैः विशुद्धः आत्मा यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मानव-विशेषण

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• स्नानेन: by bathing
• स्नानेन: करण (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मानवः: a man; a human
• मानवः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जायते: becomes; is born (as)
• जायते: क्रिया (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तत्क्षणात्: at that very moment
• तत्क्षणात्: क्रियाविशेषण (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत् + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास, पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्यय (immediately)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: निपात (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic/only)

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेधार्थक निपात (negation)

• अत्र: here; in this matter
• अत्र: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक

• कार्या: to be done; necessary
• कार्या: विधेय (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ + ण्यत्)
• Form: ण्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृत्य (to be done), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विचारणा-विशेषण

• विचारणा: deliberation; consideration
• विचारणा: कर्ता (Subject; with negation: no deliberation is needed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचारणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Agastya (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pāpamocana Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: vipra/brāhmaṇa interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A measured walk along the ghat (two hundred dhanus) leads to a marked ford; a bather emerges from the Sarayū radiant and calm, while dark, smoky motifs of sin dissolve into the water’s light.

Characters & Entities

• Pāpamocana Tīrtha
• Sarayū

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrthas are portrayed as swift instruments of inner purification, encouraging repentance, renewal, and dharmic living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pāpamocana Tīrtha, located about two hundred dhanus away (within the Ayodhyā–Sarayū sacred zone).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at Pāpamocana Tīrtha for immediate purification from all sins.