Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

निहते रावणे विप्रा जटां रामस्तु धार्मिकः । क्षालयामास यत्तोये तज्जटातीर्थमुच्यते

Transliteration

nihate rāvaṇe viprā jaṭāṃ rāmastu dhārmikaḥ | kṣālayāmāsa yattoye tajjaṭātīrthamucyate

Translation

Ô brāhmanes, lorsque Rāvaṇa eut été terrassé, le juste Rāma lava dans cette eau ses cheveux nattés ; c’est pourquoi on l’appelle Jaṭātīrtha.

Word by Word

• निहते: when (he) was slain
• निहते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + हन् (धातु) → निहत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; 'रावणे' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; लोकेटिव-अब्सोल्यूट (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)

• रावणे: in/when Rāvaṇa (was slain)
• रावणे: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रावण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध (locative absolute)

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे प्रयोगः (हे विप्राः)

• जटाम्: matted hair (locks)
• जटाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जटा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• रामः: Rāma
• रामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Discourse connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेष-वाचक (but/indeed)

• धार्मिकः: righteous
• धार्मिकः: Modifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धार्मिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; 'रामः' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• क्षालयामास: washed
• क्षालयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षल् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; धातु: क्षल् (to wash)

• यत्: in which
• यत्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सूचक (in which)

• तोये: in the water
• तोये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• जटातीर्थम्: (is) Jaṭā-tīrtha
• जटातीर्थम्: Karta (Subject complement/नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जटातीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; जटा + तीर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (Passive/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuity)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jaṭātīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprāḥ (brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma, serene after slaying Rāvaṇa, stands at a clear pool/riverbank washing his matted locks; Lakṣmaṇa and sages/brāhmaṇas witness; the water glows as a tīrtha.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Rāvaṇa
• Jaṭātīrtha
• Vipras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places are sanctified by divine and heroic acts; remembering them strengthens faith and pilgrimage-focused dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jaṭātīrtha, named from Rāma’s act of washing his jaṭā in its waters after Rāvaṇa’s death.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied sacred bathing/cleansing in the tīrtha’s waters, modeled by Rāma’s act.