Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

भ्रूणहत्याशतं विप्रा नश्यति क्षणमात्रतः । यथा रामस्तथा सेतुर्यथा गंगा तथा हरिः

Transliteration

bhrūṇahatyāśataṃ viprā naśyati kṣaṇamātrataḥ | yathā rāmastathā seturyathā gaṃgā tathā hariḥ

Translation

Ô brāhmanes, cent fautes de meurtre d’embryon s’évanouissent en un seul instant. Tel est Rāma, tel est le Setu ; telle est la Gaṅgā, tel est Hari (Viṣṇu).

Word by Word

• भ्रूणहत्याशतम्: a hundred (sins) of embryo-killing
• भ्रूणहत्याशतम्: Kartṛ (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रूणहत्या (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (भ्रूणहत्यायाः शतम्) = neuter nominative singular

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे प्रथमा-बहुवचन-प्रयोगः = masculine nominative plural used as vocative address

• नश्यति: perishes, is destroyed
• नश्यति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद = present indicative, 3rd person singular

• क्षणमात्रतः: in a mere moment
• क्षणमात्रतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्ययवत् = avyayībhāva compound functioning adverbially (‘in just a moment’)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison marker/उपमान-संबन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमान/तुलना) = indeclinable (comparative ‘as’)

• रामः: Rāma
• रामः: Kartṛ (Topic/subject in comparison/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन = masculine nominative singular

• तथा: so, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Correlative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (तथैव/एवमेव) = indeclinable (correlative ‘so/likewise’)

• सेतुः: the bridge (Setu)
• सेतुः: Kartṛ (Topic/subject in comparison/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन = masculine nominative singular

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison marker/उपमान-संबन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (तुलना) = indeclinable

• गङ्गा: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गा: Kartṛ (Topic/subject in comparison/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन = feminine nominative singular

• तथा: so, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Correlative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/सादृश्य) = indeclinable

• हरिः: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिः: Kartṛ (Topic/subject in comparison/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन = masculine nominative singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Setukhaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra (Rāma-setu)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: on one side Śrī Rāma and the Setu causeway visually mirror each other; on the other side Gaṅgā as a goddess and Hari (Viṣṇu) mirror each other; pilgrims perform snāna, while symbolic ‘sins’ dissolve instantly.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Rāma
• Rāma-setu
• Gaṅgā
• Hari (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha is presented as non-different from the divine it represents; faith in that identity yields rapid purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāma-setu (Setu tīrtha), praised with a status comparable to Gaṅgā and Hari.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single act is specified here; the verse asserts the general sin-destroying power of the Setu tīrtha.