Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

सेतुस्नायी नरो विप्राः पंचपातकवानपि । मातृतः पितृतश्चैव शतकोटिकुलान्वितः

Transliteration

setusnāyī naro viprāḥ paṃcapātakavānapi | mātṛtaḥ pitṛtaścaiva śatakoṭikulānvitaḥ

Translation

Ô brāhmaṇas, même un homme souillé des cinq grands péchés—avec cent millions de familles du côté maternel et paternel—est relevé par le bain à Setu.

Word by Word

• सेतुस्नायी: one who bathes at Setu
• सेतुस्नायी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेतु (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नायी (कृदन्त, √स्ना)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सेतौ स्नायी)

• नरः: man/person
• नरः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Address (Sambodhana/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पञ्चपातकवान्: possessing the five great sins
• पञ्चपातकवान्: Karta (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक) + पातक (प्रातिपदिक) + वत्/वान् (तद्धित, मतुप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु (पञ्च पातकानि यस्य) + मतुप्-प्रत्यय (वान् = possessing)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Modifier (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थक-निपात (concessive/also)

• मातृतः: on the mother’s side
• मातृतः: Modifier (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित/अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) = 'from/on the mother's side'

• पितृतः: on the father’s side
• पितृतः: Modifier (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित/अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) = 'from/on the father's side'

• च: and
• च: Connector (Samuccaya/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• एव: indeed
• एव: Modifier (Avyaya/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात

• शतकोटिकुलान्वितः: endowed with (merit for) hundreds of crores of families
• शतकोटिकुलान्वितः: Karta (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + कुल (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त, √अन्वि/अनु+√इ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (शतकोटि-कुलैः अन्वितः = endowed with hundreds of crores of families)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (contextual attribution)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setutīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (explicit: ‘viprāḥ’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Setu, a sinner marked by dark stains enters the sea; as he bathes, luminous ancestral figures rise behind him in countless rows, hands raised in blessing, symbolizing ‘śatakoṭi-kula’ uplift.

Characters & Entities

• Setu (Setubandha/Rāmeśvara region)
• Pañcamahāpātaka (five great sins)
• Pitṛs (ancestral line implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Setu-snāna is portrayed as extraordinarily redemptive—its merit can uplift even grievous sinners and benefit their lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu/Setubandha (Rāmeśvara).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at Setu, undertaken as a purificatory pilgrimage act.