Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

मूषावस्थां वसाकूपं तथा वैतरणी नदीम् । श्वभक्षं मूत्रपानं च सेतुस्नायी न पश्यति

Transliteration

mūṣāvasthāṃ vasākūpaṃ tathā vaitaraṇī nadīm | śvabhakṣaṃ mūtrapānaṃ ca setusnāyī na paśyati

Translation

സേതുവിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ മൂഷാവസ്ഥ, വസാകൂപം, വൈതരണീ നദി, കൂടാതെ ശ്വഭക്ഷണവും മൂത്രപാനവും പോലുള്ള ഭീകരയാതനകൾ കാണുകയില്ല।

Word by Word

• मूषावस्थाम्: the state of being a rat
• मूषावस्थाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूषा (प्रातिपदिक) + अवस्था (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘मूषायाः अवस्था’ (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• वसाकूपम्: the pit of fat/grease
• वसाकूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसा (प्रातिपदिक) + कूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘वसायाः कूपः’ (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise)

• वैतरणी: Vaitaraṇī (river)
• वैतरणी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैतरणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• नदीम्: river
• नदीम्: Karma (Apposition to वैतरणी/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• श्वभक्षम्: dog-eating / being eaten by dogs
• श्वभक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वन् (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘श्वभक्षः (कुक्कुरभक्ष्यः/कुक्कुरभक्षणम्)’ (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• मूत्रपानम्: drinking urine
• मूत्रपानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘मूत्रस्य पानम्’ (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

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

• सेतुस्नायी: one who bathes at Setu
• सेतुस्नायी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेतु (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नायी (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √स्ना)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘सेतौ स्नायी’ (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

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

• पश्यति: sees/experiences
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Present, 3rd person, Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: General audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Foreground: a devotee bathing at Setu with hands folded; Background: shadowy, fading visions of naraka—Vaitaraṇī river, a ‘fat well,’ grotesque punishments—receding like a nightmare dispelled by sacred water and sunrise.

Characters & Entities

• Setu
• Vaitaraṇī River

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purifying pilgrimage acts, especially tīrtha-snāna, are framed as protections from grievous post-death torments caused by sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu-tīrtha (Setubandha).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna—bathing at the Setu.