Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 125

Devanagari script

लुब्धाः क्रूराः खला मूढाः स्ते नाश्चैवातिकामिनः । ते सर्वे प्राप्य गोकर्णं स्नात्वा तीर्थजलेषु च

Transliteration

lubdhāḥ krūrāḥ khalā mūḍhāḥ ste nāścaivātikāminaḥ | te sarve prāpya gokarṇaṃ snātvā tīrthajaleṣu ca

Translation

ലോഭികൾ, ക്രൂരർ, ദുഷ്ടർ, മൂഢർ, കള്ളർ, അതികാമാസക്തർ—ഇവരും ഗോകർണ്ണത്തിലെത്തി അവിടത്തെ തീർത്ഥജലങ്ങളിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്താൽ പവിത്രത പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• लुब्धाः: greedy
• लुब्धाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लुब्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• क्रूराः: cruel
• क्रूराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• खलाः: wicked people
• खलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• मूढाः: deluded
• मूढाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• स्तेनाः: thieves
• स्तेनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तेन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• अतिकामिनः: overly lustful persons
• अतिकामिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिकामिन् (प्रातिपदिक); अति (अव्यय) + कामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थः (अत्यन्तं कामी)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• प्राप्य: having reached
• प्राप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘प्राप्य’ = having reached

• गोकर्णम्: Gokarṇa (place)
• गोकर्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोकर्ण (प्रातिपदिक); गो + कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (गोः कर्ण इव/गोकर्णः)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; having bathed

• तीर्थजलेषु: in the sacred waters
• तीर्थजलेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थजल (प्रातिपदिक); तीर्थ + जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थस्य जलम्)

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

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gokarṇa tīrthas (tīrtha-jala)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A procession of morally fallen people—thief, cruel man, lust-driven youth, deluded wanderer—arrive humbled at Gokarṇa; they bathe in clear sacred water near the Śiva shrine, emerging calm and penitent as temple lamps glow.

Characters & Entities

• Gokarṇa
• Tīrtha
• Snāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred geography has transformative power: sincere approach to a tīrtha and ritual bathing can reorient even deeply flawed lives.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gokarṇa and its tīrtha-waters.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) in the tīrtha-jala (consecrated waters) at Gokarṇa.