Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

स्नाति चेद्धनुषः कोटौ तस्मिन्नासौ निपात्यते । बाधते सर्वजंतून्यो नानो पायैरुपद्रवैः

Transliteration

snāti ceddhanuṣaḥ koṭau tasminnāsau nipātyate | bādhate sarvajaṃtūnyo nāno pāyairupadravaiḥ

Translation

S’il se baigne à Dhanus-koṭi, il n’y est pas précipité. Mais celui qui fait du tort à tous les êtres, infligeant des tourments par maints moyens cruels, en subit une conséquence très lourde.

Word by Word

• स्नाति: bathes
• स्नाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-निपात (conditional particle)

• धनुषः: of a bow
• धनुषः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• कोटौ: at the tip/end
• कोटौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: there/in that (place)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• असौ: that person (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• निपात्यते: is made to fall / is cast down
• निपात्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि (उपसर्ग) + पत् (धातु) + णिच् → निपातयति; कर्मणि प्रयोगः
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि (passive)

• बाधते: afflicts/torments
• बाधते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बाध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• सर्वजन्तून्: all creatures
• सर्वजन्तून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (sarve janṭavaḥ)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• नाना: in various ways
• नाना: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb: variously)

• उपायैः: by means/methods
• उपायैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• उपद्रवैः: with troubles/torments
• उपद्रवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपद्रव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Setu-khaṇḍa narrative voice within Brahmakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhanus-koṭi

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A compassionate pilgrim bathing at Dhanuskoṭi, then offering food/water to creatures (birds, fishers, stray animals) on the shore; in the background, shadowy images of cruelty dissolve, symbolizing cessation of harm.

Characters & Entities

• Dhanuskoṭi (tīrtha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Non-violence is a core dharma; the verse condemns cruelty while affirming tīrtha-snāna as a purifying refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhanuskoṭi is repeatedly praised as a saving tīrtha in this adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at Dhanuskoṭi; and the ethical prescription of not harming living beings (ahiṃsā).