Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

क्षारांबुपानं नरकं तप्तायः सूचिभक्षणम् । एतानि नरकान्यद्धा न याति गतपातकः

Transliteration

kṣārāṃbupānaṃ narakaṃ taptāyaḥ sūcibhakṣaṇam | etāni narakānyaddhā na yāti gatapātakaḥ

Translation

ക്ഷാരജലം കുടിക്കൽ, ചുവന്നുകത്തുന്ന ഇരുമ്പുസൂചികൾ വിഴുങ്ങുന്ന നരകം—പാപം നീങ്ങിയവൻ തീർച്ചയായും ഈ നരകങ്ങളിലേക്കു പോകുകയില്ല।

Word by Word

• क्षारांबुपानम्: drinking of alkaline water
• क्षारांबुपानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षार (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बु (प्रातिपदिक) + पान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (क्षाराम्बोः पानम्)

• नरकम्: hell (a torment)
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• तप्तायः: heated iron
• तप्तायः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तप्त (कृदन्त, तप् धातु) + आयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (तप्तम् आयः = heated iron)

• सूचि: needle
• सूचि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• भक्षणम्: eating, swallowing
• भक्षणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु) + अन (प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; भाववाचक कृदन्त (eating)

• एतानि: these
• एतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन

• नरकानि: hells, torments
• नरकानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन

• अद्धा: certainly
• अद्धा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्धा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (certainly)

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

• याति: goes, reaches
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गतपातकः: one whose sin has departed (sinless)
• गतपातकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गत (कृदन्त, गम् धातु) + पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (यस्य पातकं गतं सः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Setu Māhātmya-style narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two-part moral diptych: left—caustic-drink and red-hot needle torment; right—purified devotee protected by a luminous aura, turning away from Yama’s path toward a sacred shore/temple.

Characters & Entities

• Naraka (hell)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When sin is truly destroyed (through dharma, repentance, and sacred merit), the soul is freed from the consequences described as hellish punishments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu Tīrtha (Setubandha/Rāmeśvara sacred zone) as taught in the Setukhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied rather than stated: the surrounding Setu Māhātmya context emphasizes Setu snāna and pilgrimage as causes of pāpa-kṣaya.