Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

न याति मनुजो विप्रा धनुष्कोटौ निमज्जनात् । वित्तापत्यकलत्राणां योऽन्येषामपहारकः

Transliteration

na yāti manujo viprā dhanuṣkoṭau nimajjanāt | vittāpatyakalatrāṇāṃ yo'nyeṣāmapahārakaḥ

Translation

Ô brāhmaṇas, l’homme qui dérobe la richesse, les enfants ou l’épouse d’autrui ne se délivre pas de la conséquence par le seul fait de s’immerger à Dhanuṣkoṭi.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध) — negation particle

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — present indicative, 3rd person singular

• मनुजः: a man
• मनुजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — masculine nominative singular

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Addressed/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन — masculine nominative plural (सम्बोधनार्थे)

• धनुष्कोटौ: at the tip of a bow
• धनुष्कोटौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन — feminine locative singular; (धनुषः कोटौ)

• निमज्जनात्: from (the act of) sinking/immersion
• निमज्जनात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नि + मज्जन (√मज्ज् ‘to sink’ ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन — ablative singular; action noun (ल्युट्)

• वित्तापत्यकलत्राणाम्: of wealth, children, and wife
• वित्तापत्यकलत्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त + अपत्य + कलत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन — genitive plural; itaretara-dvandva ‘wealth, children, and wife’

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — relative pronoun, masculine nominative singular

• अन्येषाम्: of others
• अन्येषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन — genitive plural

• अपहारकः: a thief/robber (one who takes away)
• अपहारकः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप + हारक (√हृ ‘to take’ ण्वुल्/क-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — agent noun, masculine nominative singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Setu-khaṇḍa; admonitory teaching on tīrtha and ethics)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhanuṣkoṭi

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas of Naimiṣāraṇya (viprāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at the wind-swept sea-tip of Dhanuṣkoṭi performing snāna, while a moral ‘shadow’ scene shows the consequences of theft/abduction/adultery—suggesting that water alone cannot wash deliberate injustice.

Characters & Entities

• Dhanuṣkoṭi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage and bathing are not substitutes for moral integrity; grave harms done to others demand ethical restraint and true repentance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhanuṣkoṭi within the Setu region (Setubandha/Rāmeśvaram sacred geography).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nimajjana (ritual immersion/bathing) at Dhanuṣkoṭi is referenced—yet declared insufficient for certain severe transgressions like stealing others’ family/wealth.