Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

सेतुस्नानं मोक्षदं हि मनःशुद्धिप्रदं तथा । जपाद्धोमात्तथा दानाद्यागाच्च तपसोऽपि च

Transliteration

setusnānaṃ mokṣadaṃ hi manaḥśuddhipradaṃ tathā | japāddhomāttathā dānādyāgācca tapaso'pi ca

Translation

സേതുവിൽ സ്നാനം നിശ്ചയമായും മോക്ഷദായകവും മനശ്ശുദ്ധി നൽകുന്നതുമാണ്; ജപം, ഹോമം, ദാനം, യാഗം, തപസ്സ് എന്നിവയെക്കാളും അത്യധികം ഫലപ്രദം.

Word by Word

• सेतुस्नानम्: bathing at Setu
• सेतुस्नानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेतु (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सेतोः स्नानम्)

• मोक्षदम्: granting liberation
• मोक्षदम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + द (√दा धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः, कृदन्त (द-प्रत्ययः) — ‘मोक्षं ददाति’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• मनःशुद्धिप्रदम्: bestowing purity of mind
• मनःशुद्धिप्रदम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (√दा धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मनसः शुद्धेः प्रदम्), कृदन्त (प्रद = ‘प्र’+√दा)

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• जपात्: from/than (the merit of) japa
• जपात्: Apadana/Comparison (अपादान/तुलना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; ‘जपात्’ (ablative: from/than japa)

• होमात्: from/than (the merit of) homa
• होमात्: Apadana/Comparison (अपादान/तुलना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण

• दानात्: from/than (the merit of) giving
• दानात्: Apadana/Comparison (अपादान/तुलना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• यागात्: from/than (the merit of) sacrifice
• यागात्: Apadana/Comparison (अपादान/तुलना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• तपसः: from/than (the merit of) austerity
• तपसः: Apadana/Comparison (अपादान/तुलना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th) एकवचन (वैकल्पिक-रूपेण षष्ठी 6th एकवचन अपि); अत्र ‘तपसः’ = ‘तपसात्’ (ablative sense)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

Speaker

Unknown (Setukhaṇḍa narrative voice; context not provided in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu (Setubandha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottamāḥ (addressed audience of brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at the sea-shore of Setu at dawn, performing snāna with folded hands; distant line of stones/sandbar evoking the Setu; priests with waterpots and lamps; a serene, purifying atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Setu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Setu-snāna is praised as a direct purifier of the mind and a cause of mokṣa, elevated above many other meritorious acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu Tīrtha (Setu), traditionally identified with the sacred Setu/Rāma-setu region associated with pilgrimage and purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing snāna (ritual bathing) at Setu; it is compared favorably to japa, homa, dāna, yāga, and tapas.