Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

शाल्मलीनरके घोरे पात्यते बहुकंटके । स्नाति चेद्धनुषः कोटौ तस्मिन्नासौ निपात्यते

Transliteration

śālmalīnarake ghore pātyate bahukaṃṭake | snāti ceddhanuṣaḥ koṭau tasminnāsau nipātyate

Translation

Il est précipité dans l’effroyable enfer Śālmalī, hérissé de multiples épines. Même s’il se baignait à Setu, au lieu sacré nommé « Dhanus-koṭi », il y tomberait encore.

Word by Word

• śālmalī-narake: in the Śālmalī-hell
• śālmalī-narake: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śālmalī + naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (śālmalyāḥ narake)

• ghore: terrible
• ghore: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (narake)

• pātyate: is made to fall / is cast
• pātyate: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pat (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (Passive)

• bahu-kaṇṭake: full of many thorns
• bahu-kaṇṭake: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu + kaṇṭaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः; विशेषणम् (narake)

• snāti: bathes
• snāti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• cet: if
• cet: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cet (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक-निपातः (conditional particle ‘if’)

• dhanuṣaḥ: of a bow
• dhanuṣaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhanus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• koṭau: at the tip/end
• koṭau: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: koṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• tasmin: there / in that (place)
• tasmin: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपातः (negation)

• asau: that person (he)
• asau: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• nipātyate: is made to fall down / is cast down
• nipātyate: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni + pat (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (Passive)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Setukhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhanus-koṭi (at Setu/Setubandha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at the sea-edge of Dhanus-koṭi performs snāna while, in a didactic split-scene, the dreadful Śālmalī-naraka appears: thorny śālmalī trees, dark winds, and Yama’s realm looming as a warning that ritual without reform fails.

Characters & Entities

• Setu
• Dhanuskoṭi
• Śālmalī-naraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage-bathing is exalted, yet grave adharmic conduct can nullify its benefit and lead to severe consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu (Rāmeśvaram/Setubandha region), specifically the bathing-place referred to as Dhanus-koṭi.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at Dhanus-koṭi on Setu is referenced, though stated here as ineffective for the implied offender.