Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

अगम्यागमना यानि अस्पर्शस्पर्शनादि च । भस्मीभवंति लोकानां धर्मारण्यावगाहनात्

Transliteration

agamyāgamanā yāni asparśasparśanādi ca | bhasmībhavaṃti lokānāṃ dharmāraṇyāvagāhanāt

Translation

അഗമ്യഗമനപാപങ്ങളും അസ്പൃശ്യസ്പർശം മുതലായവയും—ധർമാരണ്യത്തിൽ അവഗാഹനം (സ്നാനം) ചെയ്താൽ ജനങ്ങളുടെ പാപങ്ങൾ ഭസ്മമാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अगम्यागमनानि: illicit goings/approaches (to the forbidden)
• अगम्यागमनानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगम्य + आगमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विषय (illicit approaches/acts)

• यानि: which
• यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun referring to sins)

• अस्पर्शस्पर्शनादि: (sins) like touching what should not be touched, etc.
• अस्पर्शस्पर्शनादि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्पर्श + स्पर्शन + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन-समासान्त-प्रयोग (collective); विषय (e.g., touching the untouchable)

• च: and
• च: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• भस्मीभवन्ति: turn to ashes
• भस्मीभवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भस्मी-भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; परिणामवाचक (become ashes)

• लोकानाम्: of people
• लोकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (of people)

• धर्मारण्यावगाहनात्: from bathing/immersing in Dharmāraṇya
• धर्मारण्यावगाहनात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मारण्य + अवगाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अपादान (ablative: from immersion/bathing in Dharmāraṇya)

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims immersing in sacred waters within a forest setting; dark smoke-like forms symbolizing sins dissolve into ash and vanish as the bather submerges; sunlight shafts and lotus blooms signify purification.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmāraṇya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred bathing (avagāhana) in a celebrated tīrtha is portrayed as a potent purifier capable of burning away deep moral defilements.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya, specifically through the act of ‘avagāhana’ (immersion/bathing) there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avagāhana/snānā—ritual immersion or bathing in Dharmāraṇya.