Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

धर्मवाप्यां नरः स्नात्वा दृष्ट्वा धर्मेश्वरं शिवम् । मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो न मातुर्गर्भमाविशेत्

Transliteration

dharmavāpyāṃ naraḥ snātvā dṛṣṭvā dharmeśvaraṃ śivam | mucyate sarvapāpebhyo na māturgarbhamāviśet

Translation

ധർമവാപിയിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് ധർമേശ്വരനായ ശിവനെ ദർശിച്ചാൽ മനുഷ്യൻ സർവ്വപാപങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നു മോചിതനാകും; അവൻ വീണ്ടും മാതൃഗർഭത്തിൽ പ്രവേശിക്കുകയില്ല (പുനർജന്മമില്ല).

Word by Word

• धर्मवाप्याम्: in the Dharma-well/pond
• धर्मवाप्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + वापी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य वापी)

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

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• धर्मेश्वरम्: the Lord of Dharma
• धर्मेश्वरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मस्य ईश्वरः)

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; धर्मेश्वरम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण/समनाम

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• सर्वपापेभ्यः: from all sins
• सर्वपापेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (सर्वाणि पापानि)

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

• मातुः: of (his) mother
• मातुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• गर्भम्: womb
• गर्भम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• आविशेत्: would enter
• आविशेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√विश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmavāpī

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim bathes in a stepped pond (vāpī) and then stands before a Śiva-liṅga or anthropomorphic Śiva as Dharmeśvara, with bilva leaves and lamps; the atmosphere suggests release from saṃsāra.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmavāpī
• Dharmeśvara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-snānā and Śiva-darśana together are presented as a direct path to purification and freedom from rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmavāpī, along with the shrine/form of Śiva known as Dharmeśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe in Dharmavāpī and take darśana of Dharmeśvara Śiva.