Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

अग्निपुत्रेण नीलेन कृतं सेतौ विमुक्तिदम् । नीलतीर्थे नरः स्नानात्सर्वपापविमोचितः

Transliteration

agniputreṇa nīlena kṛtaṃ setau vimuktidam | nīlatīrthe naraḥ snānātsarvapāpavimocitaḥ

Translation

അഗ്നിപുത്രനായ നീലൻ സേതുവിൽ ഇത് നിർമ്മിച്ചു; ഇത് മോക്ഷദായകം. നീലതീർത്ഥത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്താൽ മനുഷ്യൻ സർവ്വപാപങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നു വിമുക്തനാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अग्निपुत्रेण: by Agni’s son
• अग्निपुत्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अग्नेः पुत्रः)

• नीलेन: by Nīla
• नीलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; विशेष्य (apposition to अग्निपुत्रेण)

• कृतम्: made, constructed
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘(इदं) कृतम्’ = ‘made’

• सेतौ: on the causeway (Setu)
• सेतौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• विमुक्तिदम्: granting liberation
• विमुक्तिदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (विमुक्तिं ददाति इति) विशेषणम् (qualifying implied ‘तीर्थम्/स्थानम्’)

• नीलतीर्थे: in Nīla-tīrtha
• नीलतीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नील (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• स्नानात्: by bathing
• स्नानात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे

• सर्वपापविमोचितः: freed from all sins
• सर्वपापविमोचितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सर्वपाप (प्रातिपदिक) + वि + मुच् (धातु) → विमोचित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (सर्वपापैः विमोचितः / सर्वपापात् विमोचितः—sense: freed from all sins); भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nīla-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprāḥ/dvijāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mythic tableau: Nīla, radiant and fiery as Agni’s son, sanctifies/creates a tīrtha at the Setu; in the foreground pilgrims bathe, symbolically shedding sins; the sea and the bridge-like stones evoke Setu construction.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Nīla
• Setu
• Nīla-tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divinely charged places arise through dharmic deeds; approaching them with faith (snāna) becomes a means toward purification and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nīla-tīrtha at Setu, attributed to Nīla, son of Agni.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at Nīla-tīrtha, said to free one from all sins and lead toward vimukti.