Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

सस्नौ तीर्थेषु कस्माच्च इतरो मुच्यते कथम् । अम्बरीषसुतां हृत्वा पर्वतान्नारदात्तथा

Transliteration

sasnau tīrtheṣu kasmācca itaro mucyate katham | ambarīṣasutāṃ hṛtvā parvatānnāradāttathā

Translation

തീർത്ഥങ്ങളിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്തിട്ടും ദുഃഖം എന്തുകൊണ്ട് നിവൃത്തിയാകുന്നില്ല? മറ്റൊരാൾ എങ്ങനെ മോചിതനാകുന്നു? അംബരീഷന്റെ പുത്രിയെ പർവതത്തിൽ നിന്ന് അപഹരിച്ച്, നാരദനിൽ നിന്നുമെങ്ങനെ കേട്ടതുപോലെ—

Word by Word

• सस्नौ: bathed
• सस्नौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तीर्थेषु: in sacred fords/pilgrimage places
• तीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन

• कस्मात्: from what cause/why
• कस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय

• इतरः: the other (person)
• इतरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मुच्यते: is released
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (how)

• अम्बरीषसुताम्: Ambarīṣa's daughter
• अम्बरीषसुताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बरीष (प्रातिपदिक) + सुता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अम्बरीषस्य सुता)

• हृत्वा: having taken/abducted
• हृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• पर्वतात्: from the mountain
• पर्वतात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• नारदात्: from Nārada
• नारदात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (thus/likewise)

Speaker

Bāla (continuing reply; citing examples)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tīrthas (unspecified)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A questioning assembly: a speaker gestures toward a river-ghat (symbolic tīrtha) while a distant mountain scene foreshadows an abduction of a princess (Ambarīṣa’s daughter); Nārada appears as a messenger figure linking episodes.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrthas
• Ambarīṣa
• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External rites like tīrtha-bathing do not mechanically erase all consequences; individual karmic histories and divine dispensation explain differing outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tīrthas are mentioned generically; no specific pilgrimage site is named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-snāna (bathing at sacred places) is referenced, but not detailed.