Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

खले ताम्रमये विप्राः पात्यते क्षुधयार्दितः । स्नाति चेद्धनुषः कोटौ तस्मिन्नासौ निपात्यते

Transliteration

khale tāmramaye viprāḥ pātyate kṣudhayārditaḥ | snāti ceddhanuṣaḥ koṭau tasminnāsau nipātyate

Translation

ഹേ ബ്രാഹ്മണന്മാരേ, അവനെ ചെമ്പുകൊണ്ടുള്ള ഖലത്തിൽ (ചെമ്പുതവയിൽ) തള്ളിവിട്ട് വിശപ്പാൽ പീഡിപ്പിക്കുന്നു; സേതുവിൽ ധനുസ്സിന്റെ അഗ്രമാത്രം പോലും സ്നാനം ചെയ്താലും അവൻ അവിടെ വീഴ്ചയിൽ നിന്ന് രക്ഷപ്പെടുകയില്ല।

Word by Word

• खले: in a trough/vat
• खले: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• ताम्रमये: made of copper
• ताम्रमये: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ताम्र (प्रातिपदिक) + मयट् (तद्धित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तद्धितान्तः (made of copper)

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (सम्बोधनार्थेऽपि प्रयुज्यते)

• पात्यते: is made to fall / is thrown
• पात्यते: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पत् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• क्षुधया: by hunger
• क्षुधया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुध्/क्षुधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• आर्दितः: afflicted/tormented
• आर्दितः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √अर्द् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• स्नाति: bathes
• स्नाति: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्ययम् (if)

• धनुषः: of a bow
• धनुषः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• कोटौ: at the tip/end
• कोटौ: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• तस्मिन्: there/in that (place)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (सन्दर्भे), सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम्

• असौ: that person (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• निपात्यते: is made to fall / is cast down
• निपात्यते: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√पत् (धातु) + णिच्
• Form: लट्-लकारः, कर्मणि-प्रयोगः, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Setukhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setutīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (explicitly addressed: ‘viprāḥ’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A condemned person lies or is thrown upon a glowing copper slab, writhing with hunger; above, Yama’s attendants stand guard. In the distance, the calm Setu sea suggests the contrast between outer ritual and inner sin.

Characters & Entities

• Setu (Rāmeśvaram/Setu-tīrtha)
• Brāhmaṇa (vipra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External merit (snāna) cannot cancel entrenched adharma; ethical reform is required.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu-kṣetra is invoked as supremely purifying, yet not as a license to ignore dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at Setu is referenced, framed as insufficient without righteous conduct.