Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

उपवासैर्व्रतैः कृत्स्नैरसंताप्य निजां तनुम् । स्वर्गाभिलाषिणः पुंसः स्नांतु सेतौ विमुक्तिदे

Transliteration

upavāsairvrataiḥ kṛtsnairasaṃtāpya nijāṃ tanum | svargābhilāṣiṇaḥ puṃsaḥ snāṃtu setau vimuktide

Translation

Sem afligir o próprio corpo com jejuns e votos completos, os homens que anseiam pelo céu devem banhar-se em Setu, o doador de libertação.

Word by Word

• upavāsaiḥ: by fasts
• upavāsaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upavāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• vrataiḥ: by vows
• vrataiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• kṛtsnaiḥ: complete/entire
• kṛtsnaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛtsna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier of upavāsaiḥ/vrataiḥ)

• asaṃtāpya: without afflicting
• asaṃtāpya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: a-saṃ-√tap (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष अव्यय (absolutive) ‘without tormenting’ (नञ्-पूर्वक)

• nijām: one’s own
• nijām: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of tanum)

• tanum: body
• tanum: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tanu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• svarga-abhilāṣiṇaḥ: desirous of heaven
• svarga-abhilāṣiṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक) + abhilāṣin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (स्वर्गम् अभिलाषन्ति ये = desirous of heaven)

• puṃsaḥ: of a man/person
• puṃsaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pumān/pum (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (of a man/person)

• snāntu: let them bathe
• snāntu: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √snā (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• setau: at Setu
• setau: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: setu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vimukti-de: at (the place) that grants liberation
• vimukti-de: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vimukti (प्रातिपदिक) + da (प्रातिपदिक; from √dā ‘to give’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (विमुक्तिं ददाति इति = giver of liberation); पदरूपम् ‘विमुक्तिदे’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Setu Māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A compassionate sacred seashore: weary ascetics with signs of harsh fasting stand aside, while ordinary householders and pilgrims bathe with serene devotion; a luminous path of light rises from the water, symbolizing vimukti.

Characters & Entities

• Setu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Māhātmya elevates Setu-bathing as a compassionate, accessible path to merit—linking pilgrimage with both heavenly reward and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu (Setu Kṣetra), praised explicitly as “vimukti-da,” the bestower of release.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at Setu, presented as a potent alternative to harsh bodily austerities for those seeking spiritual fruits.