Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीसूत उवाच । अग्नितीर्थाभिधे तीर्थे सर्वपातकनाशने । स्नानं कृत्वा विशुद्धात्मा चक्रतीर्थं ततो व्रजेत्

Transliteration

śrīsūta uvāca | agnitīrthābhidhe tīrthe sarvapātakanāśane | snānaṃ kṛtvā viśuddhātmā cakratīrthaṃ tato vrajet

Translation

Śrī Sūta dit : Au gué sacré nommé Agni-tīrtha, qui détruit tous les péchés, après s’y être baigné et avoir purifié son âme, qu’on se rende ensuite à Cakra-tīrtha.

Word by Word

• śrīsūtaḥ: the venerable Sūta
• śrīsūtaḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (श्रीमान् सूतः) वक्तृनाम

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• agnitīrthābhidhe: called Agni-tīrtha
• agnitīrthābhidhe: Adhikarana (Location qualifier/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + abhidhā/abhidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: (अग्नितीर्थ इति अभिधा यस्य) 'named Agnitīrtha'—विशेषण (of tīrthe)

• tīrthe: at the sacred ford/place
• tīrthe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• sarvapātakanāśane: which destroys all sins
• sarvapātakanāśane: Adhikarana (Location qualifier/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + pātaka (प्रातिपदिक) + nāśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां पातकानां नाशनम्) विशेषण (of tīrthe)

• snānam: bathing
• snānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• kṛtvā: having done
• kṛtvā: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kṛtvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), धातु: कृ (to do)

• viśuddhātmā: one with purified self
• viśuddhātmā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśuddha (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (विशुद्धः आत्मा यस्य) = 'one whose self is purified'

• cakratīrtham: Cakra-tīrtha
• cakratīrtham: Karma (Goal/object of motion/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cakra (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (चक्रस्य तीर्थम्)

• tataḥ: then/from there
• tataḥ: Apadana/Sequence (Source/sequence marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादान/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (from there/then)

• vrajet: should go
• vrajet: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vraj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Agni-tīrtha (and next: Cakra-tīrtha)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis at Naimiṣāraṇya (standard frame, implied by Sūta-uvāca)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta narrates as pilgrims descend steps into Agni-tīrtha, bathe with reverence, then set out on a marked path toward Cakra-tīrtha; the atmosphere is purifying and orderly.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Agni-tīrtha
• Cakra-tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is pursued through sacred geography: sin is washed away by tīrtha-snāna and continued pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Agni-tīrtha (as destroyer of all sins) and the onward destination Cakra-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at Agni-tīrtha, followed by proceeding to Cakra-tīrtha.