Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41
मुच्यते न च पापेन चंडालत्वेन स द्विजाः । एवंविधेषु तीर्थेषु स्नातोपि च पृथक्पृथक्
mucyate na ca pāpena caṃḍālatvena sa dvijāḥ | evaṃvidheṣu tīrtheṣu snātopi ca pṛthakpṛthak
ഹേ ദ്വിജന്മാരേ! അവൻ പാപത്തിൽ നിന്നും മോചിതനായില്ല, ചാണ്ഡാലത്വത്തിൽ നിന്നും കൂടിയല്ല—ഇത്തരത്തിലുള്ള തീർത്ഥങ്ങളിൽ വേർവേർ ആയി പലവട്ടം സ്നാനം ചെയ്തിട്ടും.
Sūta (implied continuation)
Type: tirtha (generic)
Listener: dvijāḥ (addressed audience)
Scene: A weary pilgrim-king at multiple river-ghāṭs and ponds, repeatedly bathing yet still shadowed by a dark aura symbolizing unresolved pāpa/caṇḍālatva; sages observe with concern.
FAQs
External pilgrimage alone is not always sufficient; deeper causes of bondage require the right sacred encounter, grace, and inner transformation.
No single tīrtha is singled out; the verse contrasts many tīrtha-bathings with the lack of liberation from a particular condition.
Snāna (ritual bathing) is referenced, but shown as insufficient by itself in this narrative context.