Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

ऋणमोक्षाभिधे तीर्थे स्नानमात्रेण मानवाः । ऋषिदेवपितॄणां तु ऋणेभ्यो मुक्तिमाप्नुयुः

Transliteration

ṛṇamokṣābhidhe tīrthe snānamātreṇa mānavāḥ | ṛṣidevapitṝṇāṃ tu ṛṇebhyo muktimāpnuyuḥ

Translation

Au tīrtha nommé « Ṛṇamokṣa », par le seul bain, les hommes obtiennent la délivrance des dettes envers les Ṛṣis, les Divinités et les Pitṛs.

Word by Word

• ऋणमोक्षाभिधे: in (the place) called ‘Debt-release’
• ऋणमोक्षाभिधे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋणमोक्ष + अभिध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; 'ऋणमोक्ष' इति नाम यस्य (अभिध = नामधेय) इत्यर्थे षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-सदृश प्रयोग; अत्र 'तीर्थे' इत्यस्य विशेषण

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• स्नानमात्रेण: by mere bathing
• स्नानमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; 'स्नानस्य मात्रम्' इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• मानवाः: people, humans
• मानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• ऋषिदेवपितॄणाम्: of sages, gods, and ancestors
• ऋषिदेवपितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि + देव + पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (ऋषयः च देवाः च पितरः च)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषण-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• ऋणेभ्यः: from the debts
• ऋणेभ्यः: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), बहुवचन

• मुक्तिम्: release, liberation
• मुक्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• आप्नुयुः: may obtain
• आप्नुयुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ṛṇamokṣa

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims step into a luminous ford; above the waters appear three radiant seals breaking—ṛṣi, deva, pitṛ—symbolizing debts dissolving at the moment of immersion.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṇamokṣa/Ṛṇamocana Tīrtha
• Ṛṣis
• Devatās
• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divinely empowered tīrthas can complete what is otherwise arduous—release from deep obligations through grace mediated by sacred place and rite.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ṛṇamokṣa/Ṛṇamocana Tīrtha within the Setu sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna-mātra—ritual bathing/immersion at the Ṛṇamokṣa tīrtha.