Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

चतुरशीतिनरकान्न पश्यति नरो नृप । तपत्याः स्मरणे राम महापातकिनामपि

Transliteration

caturaśītinarakānna paśyati naro nṛpa | tapatyāḥ smaraṇe rāma mahāpātakināmapi

Translation

ഹേ നൃപാ! ഹേ രാമാ! തപതിയെ സ്മരിക്കുന്നതുകൊണ്ട് മനുഷ്യൻ എൺപത്തിനാലു നരകങ്ങളെ കാണുകയില്ല—മഹാപാതകിയാണെങ്കിലും.

Word by Word

• चतुरशीतिः: eighty-four
• चतुरशीतिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुरशीतिः (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक ‘eighty-four’

• नरकान्: hells
• नरकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तपत्याः: of Tapati
• तपत्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपती (प्रातिपदिक; नदी-शब्द)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; नदी-नाम (Tapati river)

• स्मरणे: in remembering
• स्मरणे: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘in (the act of) remembering’

• राम: O Rāma
• राम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महापातकिनाम्: of great sinners
• महापातकिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महापातकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; ‘of great sinners’

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), ‘even’

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tapatī (Tapti)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (king); also directly addressed: Rāma

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A penitent devotee remembers Tapatī; the river appears as a radiant goddess rising from flowing waters, while dark imagery of ‘narakas’ recedes and dissolves behind him; a protective aura surrounds the devotee.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Tapatī (Tāpī/Tapti)
• Rāma
• Naraka (hells)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembrance (smaraṇa) of a sanctified river-deity is portrayed as a powerful salvific act, mitigating even severe karmic consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tapatī (identified with the Tapti/Tāpī river) is glorified through her saving remembrance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Smaraṇa—devotional remembrance/recitation of Tapatī’s name.