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

ഭസ്മം പുരണ്ടു ചാരനിറമായ കഴുതകളെ ‘പവിത്രം’ എന്ന് എന്തിന് പ്രസ്താവിക്കണം? എല്ലാ മലിനതകളിൽ നിന്നും വിമുക്തനായവൻ തന്നെയാണ് സർവതീർത്ഥങ്ങളിലും സ്നാനം ചെയ്തവനുപോലെ.

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.