Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीसूत उवाच । लक्ष्मणस्य महातीर्थे ब्रह्महत्याविनाशने । स्नात्वा स्वचित्तशुद्ध्यर्थं जटातीर्थं ततो व्रजेत्

Transliteration

śrīsūta uvāca | lakṣmaṇasya mahātīrthe brahmahatyāvināśane | snātvā svacittaśuddhyarthaṃ jaṭātīrthaṃ tato vrajet

Translation

Śrī Sūta dit : Après s’être baigné au grand gué sacré de Lakṣmaṇa, qui détruit le péché du meurtre d’un brāhmane, qu’on se rende ensuite à Jaṭātīrtha pour purifier son propre esprit.

Word by Word

• श्रीसूतः: the venerable Sūta
• श्रीसूतः: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीसूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—श्री + सूत (विशेषण-विशेष्यभावः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• लक्ष्मणस्य: of Lakṣmaṇa
• लक्ष्मणस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• महातीर्थे: at the great sacred ford
• महातीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महातीरथ (प्रातिपदिक: महा + तीर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः—महत् + तीर्थ

• ब्रह्महत्याविनाशने: (which is) the destroyer of brahma-slaughter sin
• ब्रह्महत्याविनाशने: Visheshana (Qualifier of tīrtha)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या-विनाशन (प्रातिपदिक: ब्रह्महत्या + विनाशन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—ब्रह्महत्यायाः विनाशनम्

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having bathed’

• स्वचित्तशुद्ध्यर्थम्: for the purpose of purification of one’s own mind
• स्वचित्तशुद्ध्यर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-चित्त-शुद्धि-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—(स्वचित्तस्य शुद्धिः) तस्य अर्थः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• जटातीर्थम्: to Jaṭā-tīrtha
• जटातीर्थम्: Karma (Object of going)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जटा-तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—जटायाः तीर्थम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• ततः: then/from there
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• व्रजेत्: should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sauti)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lakṣmaṇa-mahātīrtha; Jaṭātīrtha

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim completes snāna at a coastal ford named for Lakṣmaṇa, then walks along a sandy path with prayerful focus toward Jaṭātīrtha; the sea, conch-sounds, and distant shrine silhouettes frame the journey.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmaṇa
• Jaṭātīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-snāna is presented as a practical dharmic means for removing grave sin and attaining inner purification (cittaśuddhi).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Lakṣmaṇa’s Mahātīrtha (as sin-destroying) and, subsequently, Jaṭātīrtha (as mind-purifying) within the Setu region described in the Setukhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing (snāna) first at Lakṣmaṇa Mahātīrtha, then going to Jaṭātīrtha specifically for cittaśuddhi.