Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 115

Devanagari script

अहं स्नातः समस्तेषु तीर्थेषु धरणीतले । न च पापेन निर्मुक्तः किं करोमि च सांप्रतम्

Transliteration

ahaṃ snātaḥ samasteṣu tīrtheṣu dharaṇītale | na ca pāpena nirmuktaḥ kiṃ karomi ca sāṃpratam

Translation

«Я омылся во всех тиртхах на земле, но всё же не освободился от греха. Что же мне делать теперь?»

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• स्नातः: bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समस्तेषु: in all
• समस्तेषु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन; तीर्थेषु इति विशेषण

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

• धरणी-तले: on the surface of the earth
• धरणी-तले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धरण्याः तलम्)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अन्वय (conjunction)

• पापेन: by sin; from sin (as cause)
• पापेन: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• निर्मुक्तः: freed; released
• निर्मुक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु) + निर् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• करोमि: do
• करोमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अन्वय (conjunction)

• साम्प्रतम्: now; at present
• साम्प्रतम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साम्प्रतम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Śakra (Indra/Vāsava)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śakra, exhausted, stands dripping at a riverbank, hands folded in despair, realizing the stain remains; the vastness of his journey contrasts with his inner heaviness.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrthas (general sacred sites)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True purification requires more than external rites; one must seek the specific remedy (prāyaścitta) suited to the fault.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is singled out; the verse speaks of all earthly tīrthas collectively.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at tīrthas is mentioned, while the verse prompts inquiry into further prāyaścitta.