Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

किं पावनाः प्रकीर्त्यंते रासभा भस्मधूसराः । स स्नातः सर्वतीर्थेषु मलैः सर्वैर्विवर्जितः

Transliteration

kiṃ pāvanāḥ prakīrtyaṃte rāsabhā bhasmadhūsarāḥ | sa snātaḥ sarvatīrtheṣu malaiḥ sarvairvivarjitaḥ

Translation

Mengapa keledai yang kelabu oleh abu disebut ‘suci’? Hanya dia yang bebas dari segala kenajisan—dialah seakan telah mandi di semua tīrtha (tempat suci).

Word by Word

• किम्: how/why
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (why/how)

• पावनाः: purifying
• पावनाः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• प्रकीर्त्यन्ते: are proclaimed
• प्रकीर्त्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कीर्त् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद (passive-like sense: ‘are proclaimed’)

• रासभाः: donkeys
• रासभाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रासभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• भस्मधूसराः: greyed with ash
• भस्मधूसराः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्मन् + धूसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषार्थः: ‘भस्मना धूसराः’ (grey with ash)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्नातः: bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (Agent as described/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वतीर्थेषु: in all sacred fords/places of pilgrimage
• सर्वतीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थः: ‘सर्वाणि तीर्थानि’

• मलैः: by impurities
• मलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• सर्वैः: all
• सर्वैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘मलैः’ विशेषणम्

• विवर्जितः: devoid of, free from
• विवर्जितः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + वर्ज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘सः’ विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dharmāraṇya-khaṇḍa narrative style within Brahmakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarva-tīrtha-snāna (metaphorical)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humorous yet instructive tableau: a donkey dusted in ash stands near a cremation-ground edge, while a serene sage with clear eyes stands radiant—subtle light around him—signifying freedom from impurities and ‘all-tīrtha’ merit.

Characters & Entities

• Sarva-tīrtha (all pilgrimage fords)
• Bhasma (ash)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External marks alone do not purify; freedom from inner and outer impurities is the real ‘bath in all tīrthas’.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; the verse universalizes tīrtha-merit as the fruit of genuine purity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It discourages relying on mere external appearance (e.g., being ash-covered) and points to impurity-removal as the true purification.