Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण यज्ञैर्दानेन वा पुनः । गतिं तां न लभेन्मर्त्यो यां साध्यामृतमज्जनात्

Transliteration

tapasā brahmacaryeṇa yajñairdānena vā punaḥ | gatiṃ tāṃ na labhenmartyo yāṃ sādhyāmṛtamajjanāt

Translation

Par l’ascèse (tapas), par la discipline du brahmacarya, par les sacrifices (yajña) ou même par le don (dāna), un mortel n’obtient pas la gati que procure l’immersion en Sādhyāmṛta.

Word by Word

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्रह्मचर्येण: by celibacy / brahmacarya
• ब्रह्मचर्येण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• यज्ञैः: by sacrifices
• यज्ञैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• दानेन: by giving / charity
• दानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: 'or')

• पुनः: again / indeed
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति/पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'again/indeed')

• गतिम्: state/goal (destiny)
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ताम्: that
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun used adjectivally)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• मर्त्यः: a mortal
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• याम्: which
• याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• साध्यामृतमज्जनात्: from bathing in Sādhyāmṛta (holy nectar-water)
• साध्यामृतमज्जनात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साध्य-अमृत-मज्जन (प्रातिपदिक; साध्य + अमृत + मज्जन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन (Singular); हेतौ/कारणार्थे (ablative of cause/source)

Speaker

Deductive: a Purāṇic narrator within Setukhaṇḍa (likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sādhyāmṛta

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contrast tableau: on one side ascetics performing tapas and a yajña-fire; on the other, a devotee immersing in radiant waters labeled Sādhyāmṛta, with a path of light rising upward symbolizing ‘gati’.

Characters & Entities

• Sādhyāmṛta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage-bathing at a divinely praised tīrtha is exalted as an especially powerful means to attain a supreme spiritual destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Sādhyāmṛta-jala (the Sādhyāmṛta sacred waters) in the Setukhaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Majjana/Snāna—immersive bathing in Sādhyāmṛta waters.