Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

सेतुं दृष्ट्वा नरो विप्राः सर्वयागकरः स्मृतः । स्नातश्च सर्वतीर्थेषु तपोऽतप्यत चाखिलम्

Transliteration

setuṃ dṛṣṭvā naro viprāḥ sarvayāgakaraḥ smṛtaḥ | snātaśca sarvatīrtheṣu tapo'tapyata cākhilam

Translation

Ô brāhmaṇas, celui qui a vu le Setu est tenu pour avoir accompli tous les yajñas ; comme s’il s’était baigné dans tous les tīrthas et avait pratiqué pleinement toutes les austérités (tapas).

Word by Word

• सेतुम्: the Setu
• सेतुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); 'having seen'

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

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (सम्बोधनार्थेऽपि प्रयुज्यते); here addressing sages/priests

• सर्वयागकरः: one who has performed all sacrifices
• सर्वयागकरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + याग + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः: सर्वान् यागान् करोतीति

• स्मृतः: is considered/remembered as
• स्मृतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्नातः: (as if) bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• सर्वतीर्थेषु: in all sacred fords/pilgrimage places
• सर्वतीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; समासः: सर्वेषु तीर्थेषु

• तपः: austerity/penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अतप्यत: performed (austerity)
• अतप्यत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

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

• अखिलम्: entire/all
• अखिलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; 'समस्तम्'

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ) and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A single pilgrim at Setu is shown with symbolic overlays: sacrificial fire-altars (yajña-kuṇḍa), a ring of famous tīrthas as miniature rivers, and ascetics in tapas—each dissolving into the radiance of Setu-darśana.

Characters & Entities

• Setu
• Tīrthas
• Yajñas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage darśana at a great tīrtha is praised as spiritually equivalent to many extensive Vedic rituals and austerities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu-tīrtha/Setubandha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (seeing); the verse also alludes to snāna and tapas as benefits effectively attained.