Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

पापमोचनतीर्थे तु स्नातः सत्संगतो द्विजः । पापराशिर्विनष्टोऽस्य निष्पापः समभूत्क्षणात्

Transliteration

pāpamocanatīrthe tu snātaḥ satsaṃgato dvijaḥ | pāparāśirvinaṣṭo'sya niṣpāpaḥ samabhūtkṣaṇāt

Translation

Après s’être baigné au tīrtha Pāpamocana et être demeuré en compagnie des justes, l’amas de péchés du brāhmane fut anéanti et, en un instant, il devint sans faute.

Word by Word

• पापमोचनतीर्थे: at the sin-removing tīrtha
• पापमोचनतीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + मोचन (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘पापस्य मोचनं यत् तीर्थम्’ = sin-removing ford)

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• स्नातः: having bathed
• स्नातः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) → स्नात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि (having bathed)

• सत्संगतः: associated with the good
• सत्संगतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + संगत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘सतां संगतः’ = associated with the good)

• द्विजः: the Brahmin
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पापराशिः: heap of sins
• पापराशिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + राशि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘पापानां राशिः’ = heap of sins)

• विनष्टः: was destroyed
• विनष्टः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु) → विनष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे (was destroyed); उपसर्गः ‘वि’

• अस्य: of him, his
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• निष्पापः: sinless
• निष्पापः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्/निः-पूर्वक-तत्पुरुषसदृशः (free from sin)

• समभूत्: became
• समभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः ‘सम्’

• क्षणात्: in a moment, instantly
• क्षणात्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; कालवाचक-पञ्चमी (within/from a moment)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced; Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa Ayodhyāmāhātmya dialogic style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pāpamocana Tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa interlocutor (vipra).

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a river-ghāṭ, the brāhmaṇa enters the water at Pāpamocana; dark smoke-like pāpa imagery dissolves into light; sādhus stand chanting; the water glows.

Characters & Entities

• Pāpamocana Tīrtha
• sat-saṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-snānā combined with sat-saṅga can annihilate even accumulated sin, revealing the compassion embedded in sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pāpamocana Tīrtha in Ayodhyā is directly praised as a sin-destroying sacred bathing place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at Pāpamocana Tīrtha, along with sat-saṅga (keeping good company).