Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

देवीपत्तन मित्याख्या कथं तस्याभवत्तथा । श्रीरामसेतुमूले च स्नातानां पापिनामपिः

Transliteration

devīpattana mityākhyā kathaṃ tasyābhavattathā | śrīrāmasetumūle ca snātānāṃ pāpināmapiḥ

Translation

അതിന് ‘ദേവീപട്ടണം’ എന്ന പേര് എങ്ങനെ ലഭിച്ചു? കൂടാതെ ശ്രീരാമസേതുവിന്റെ മൂലത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവർക്ക്—പാപികളായാലും—എന്ത് ഫലം ലഭിക്കും?

Word by Word

• देवीपत्तनम्: Devīpattana
• देवीपत्तनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी + पत्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (देव्याः पत्तनम्)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/उक्तिसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय

• आख्या: name (was)
• आख्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘name/appellation’

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (how)

• तस्य: of it/its
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; सम्बन्ध

• अभवत्: became/was
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus/in that way)

• श्रीरामसेतुमूले: at the base of Śrī Rāma’s bridge
• श्रीरामसेतुमूले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + राम + सेतु + मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण; तत्पुरुष-समासः (श्रीरामस्य सेतोः मूले)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• स्नातानाम्: of the bathers
• स्नातानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्ना (धातु) → स्नात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त/PPP) ‘snāta’; षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग/सर्वलिङ्ग-प्रयोगः (here masc. gen. pl.); ‘of those who have bathed’

• पापिनाम्: of sinners
• पापिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; ‘sinful persons’

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

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Devīpattana (at Śrī Rāmasetu-mūla)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A coastal sacred spot: pilgrims bathing at dawn near the Setu-base; a Devī shrine/marker nearby; the sea glows; distant sandbar/bridge line suggested; sinful pilgrims transformed—faces serene after snāna.

Characters & Entities

• Devīpattana
• Śrī Rāmasetu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇas emphasize redemptive grace: sincere tīrtha-bathing at a sanctified place can uplift even those burdened by sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śrī Rāmasetu and Devīpattana (linked in the Setukhaṇḍa’s sacred landscape).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at the root/base of Śrī Rāmasetu is implied as a merit-bearing act.