Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

सोऽहं दृष्टः श्रुतो वापि स्मृतः स्पृष्टोऽवगाहितः । सर्वस्माद्दुरिता त्पाति रामसेतुर्द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

so'haṃ dṛṣṭaḥ śruto vāpi smṛtaḥ spṛṣṭo'vagāhitaḥ | sarvasmādduritā tpāti rāmaseturdvijottamāḥ

Translation

ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമന്മാരേ! രാമസേതു—അത് കണ്ടാലും, കേട്ടാലും, സ്മരിച്ചാലും, സ്പർശിച്ചാലും, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ അതിൽ അവഗാഹനം (സ്നാനപ്രവേശം) ചെയ്താലും—സകല പാപങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നു രക്ഷിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• सः: he/that (Setu)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दृष्टः: (is) seen
• दृष्टः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• श्रुतः: (is) heard
• श्रुतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• स्मृतः: (is) remembered
• स्मृतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्पृष्टः: (is) touched
• स्पृष्टः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अवगाहितः: (is) bathed/immersed (in)
• अवगाहितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-गाह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सर्वस्मात्: from all
• सर्वस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• दुरितात्: from sin/evil
• दुरितात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुरित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्रायते: protects/saves
• त्रायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्रा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• रामसेतुः: Rāma’s bridge (Rāmasetu)
• रामसेतुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रामसेतु (प्रातिपदिक; राम + सेतु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजोत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज + उत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator of Setukhaṇḍa (deduced; addressing dvijas)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmasetu

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottama-s (best of the twice-born)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim approaches the Setu shore: first beholds the causeway, then listens to sages reciting its māhātmya, then folds hands in remembrance, touches the sacred stones, and finally immerses in the sea—each step shown as a luminous ring of purification dissolving dark stains.

Characters & Entities

• Rāmasetu
• Dvijas (Brāhmaṇas/initiates)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contact with a true tīrtha—by body, speech, mind, or direct immersion—purifies and shields the devotee from sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāmasetu (Setubandha), praised for its sin-destroying power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (seeing), śravaṇa (hearing), smaraṇa (remembering), sparśa (touching), and avagāha (bathing/immersion) are presented as purifying engagements with the tīrtha.