Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

स्नानार्थमात्मनो विप्रा गायत्री च सरस्वती । तीर्थद्वयं स्वनाम्ना वै चक्रतुः पापनाशनम्

Transliteration

snānārthamātmano viprā gāyatrī ca sarasvatī | tīrthadvayaṃ svanāmnā vai cakratuḥ pāpanāśanam

Translation

Pour leur propre bain, ô brāhmaṇas, Gāyatrī et Sarasvatī établirent deux tīrthas portant leurs noms, chacun anéantissant le péché.

Word by Word

• स्नान-अर्थम्: for bathing
• स्नान-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; स्नान + अर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; प्रयोजनार्थे

• आत्मनः: of themselves
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (6th/Genitive), एकवचनम्; स्वार्थे (of themselves)

• विप्रे: O two brāhmaṇas
• विप्रे: Sambodhana (Vocative/संबोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, संबोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), द्विवचनम्; 'O two brāhmaṇas' (address)

• गायत्री: Gāyatrī
• गायत्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सरस्वती: Sarasvatī
• सरस्वती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• तीर्थ-द्वयम्: two tīrthas
• तीर्थ-द्वयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ-द्वय (प्रातिपदिक; तीर्थ + द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; संख्यासमासः (two sacred fords)

• स्व-नाम्ना: by their own names
• स्व-नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-नामन् (प्रातिपदिक; स्व + नामन्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचनम्; करण/उपाधि (by their own names)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (emphatic particle)

• चक्रतुः: they two made/created
• चक्रतुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), द्विवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• पाप-नाशनम्: sin-destroying
• पाप-नाशनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप-नाशन (प्रातिपदिक; पाप + नाशन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (tīrthadvayam qualifies)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gāyatrī-tīrtha; Sarasvatī-tīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas/munis (explicit address: viprāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two newly manifested water-pools/ghāṭas on a mountainside, each marked by a small shrine or inscription of the goddess-name; Gāyatrī and Sarasvatī bless the waters as sages look on.

Characters & Entities

• Gāyatrī
• Sarasvatī
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred waters arise from divine intention and pure practice; snāna at a true tīrtha is celebrated as a means of pāpa-kṣaya (sin-destruction).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Two tīrthas named after Gāyatrī and Sarasvatī are introduced as pāpa-nāśana holy bathing places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at the newly established tīrthas for purification.