Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

तत्रांधकारबहुले विनिद्रो निर्वृतश्चरेत् । चेद्धनुषः कोटौ तस्मिन्नासौ निपात्यते

Transliteration

tatrāṃdhakārabahule vinidro nirvṛtaścaret | ceddhanuṣaḥ koṭau tasminnāsau nipātyate

Translation

അവിടെ ഘനമായ അന്ധകാരമുള്ള പ്രദേശത്ത് അവൻ നിദ്രയില്ലാതെ, ശാന്തിയില്ലാതെ അലഞ്ഞുതിരിയും; എന്നാൽ ‘ധനുഷ്കോടി’ എന്ന പുണ്യതീർത്ഥത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്താൽ ആ ദുര്‍ഗതിയിൽ പതിക്കുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative setting/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण) — indeclinable adverb of place

• अन्धकार-बहुले: in a place dense with darkness
• अन्धकार-बहुले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्धकार (प्रातिपदिक) + बहुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — locative singular; विशेषण (qualifying the locus)

• विनिद्रः: sleepless, wakeful
• विनिद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-निद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular; विशेषण (of the agent)

• निर्वृतः: calm, composed
• निर्वृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्वृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular; विशेषण (of the agent)

• चरेत्: should walk
• चरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन — should walk/should move

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (शर्तसूचक निपात) — conditional particle ‘if’

• धनुषः: of a bow
• धनुषः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — genitive singular

• कोटौ: at the tip/end
• कोटौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — locative singular

• तस्मिन्: in that (place)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — locative singular (pronoun)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध निपात) — negation particle

• असौ: that person
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — nominative singular (demonstrative pronoun)

• निपात्यते: is cast down
• निपात्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-पत् (धातु) (णिच् causative)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन — is made to fall / is cast down

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Setu-khaṇḍa narrative voice within Brahmakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhanus-koṭi

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone pilgrim moves through a coastal landscape rendered as ‘thick darkness’; in the distance the sea-line and sandspit of Dhanus-koṭi glimmers; upon entering the water, the darkness lifts, suggesting release from a doomed state.

Characters & Entities

• Yama (implied)
• Dhanuskoṭi (tīrtha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even heavy karmic darkness is countered by sincere resort to a praised tīrtha; the text highlights the protective power of sacred bathing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhanuskoṭi, presented as a liberating/guarding bathing-place within the Setu-kṣetra context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at Dhanuskoṭi is stated as the decisive remedial act.