Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

तथैव हि महात्मानो दर्शनस्पर्शनादिभिः । सद्यः पुनंत्यघोपेतान्सत्संगो दुर्लभो ह्यतः

Transliteration

tathaiva hi mahātmāno darśanasparśanādibhiḥ | sadyaḥ punaṃtyaghopetānsatsaṃgo durlabho hyataḥ

Translation

ସେହିପରି ମହାତ୍ମାମାନେ କେବଳ ଦର୍ଶନ, ସ୍ପର୍ଶ ଆଦିଦ୍ୱାରା ପାପଭାରାକ୍ରାନ୍ତଙ୍କୁ ତତ୍କ୍ଷଣାତ୍ ପବିତ୍ର କରନ୍ତି; ତେଣୁ ସତ୍ସଙ୍ଗ ନିଶ୍ଚୟ ଦୁର୍ଲଭ।

Word by Word

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारार्थे (indeclinable; thus/in that manner)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (indeclinable; emphatic/only)

• हि: for
• हि: Sambandha (Causal particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निपात (indeclinable particle; for/because)

• महात्मानः: great-souled ones
• महात्मानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (कर्ता) बहुवचन (Masculine; Nominative; Plural); कर्मधारयः ‘महान् आत्मा यस्य’

• दर्शन: seeing
• दर्शन: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिक (stem used in compound)

• स्पर्शन: touching
• स्पर्शन: Sambandha (Compound member/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sparśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रातिपदिक (stem used in compound)

• आदिभिः: by etc. (and the like)
• आदिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (करण) बहुवचन (Masculine; Instrumental; Plural); ‘आदि’ = etc., and the like

• दर्शनस्पर्शनादिभिः: by seeing, touching, etc.
• दर्शनस्पर्शनादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darśana + sparśana + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहारद्वन्द्वभावः); तृतीया (करण) बहुवचन (Instrumental; Plural); ‘दर्शनं च स्पर्शनं च’ इत्यादि

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadyaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालार्थे (indeclinable; immediately)

• पुनन्ति: purify
• पुनन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pū (पू) (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (Present; 3rd person; Plural; Parasmaipada)

• अघोपेतान्: those tainted with sin
• अघोपेतान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: agha + upeta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म) बहुवचन (Masculine; Accusative; Plural); तत्पुरुषः ‘अघेन उपेताः’ (endowed with sin)

• सत्सङ्गः: company of the good
• सत्सङ्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat + saṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (कर्ता/विषय) एकवचन (Masculine; Nominative; Singular); तत्पुरुषः ‘सतां सङ्गः’

• दुर्लभः: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: durlabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Masculine; Nominative; Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying सत्सङ्गः)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (indeclinable particle; indeed/for)

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Sambandha (Result connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेतुफलार्थे (indeclinable; therefore/from this)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; specific speaker not stated in this excerpt)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Satpuruṣa-saṅga (living tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant yogin/mahātma seated in calm; sinners approach—some merely seeing, some touching feet—darkness lifts from them like smoke dispersing; the text’s emphasis is on immediacy (sadyaḥ).

Characters & Entities

• Mahātmā
• Satsaṅga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Grace flows through holy association; even minimal contact with the righteous can cleanse deep impurity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named here; the verse generalizes the Mahātmya of saintly presence itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly: seek satsanga (holy company); no formal vrata, dāna, or snāna is specified.