Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

यदि हि प्रथमं स्नायादत्र कोटौ नरो द्विजाः । तस्य मुक्तस्य तीर्थानि व्यर्थान्येवापराणि हि

Transliteration

yadi hi prathamaṃ snāyādatra koṭau naro dvijāḥ | tasya muktasya tīrthāni vyarthānyevāparāṇi hi

Translation

หากบุคคลอาบก่อน ณ ที่นี่คือโกฏิ โอ้ทวิชะผู้เป็นฤๅษีทั้งหลาย แล้วสำหรับผู้หลุดพ้นนั้น ตีรถะอื่น ๆ ย่อมไร้ความจำเป็น—แท้จริงไม่มีประโยชน์ต่อไป

Word by Word

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक (conditional particle)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis)

• prathamaṃ: first
• prathamaṃ: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prathama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative/indeclinable use)

• snāyāt: should bathe
• snāyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √snā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• koṭau: at Koṭi
• koṭau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: koṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; स्थानाधिकरणे

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• dvijāḥ: O twice-born (Brahmins)
• dvijāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे प्रयुक्तं (addressing the twice-born)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• muktasya: of the liberated (one)
• muktasya: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mukta (√muc + kta, कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• tīrthāni: pilgrimage places
• tīrthāni: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• vyarthāni: futile
• vyarthāni: Visheshana (Predicate qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyartha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेयविशेषण (predicative adjective)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (Restriction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (restrictive particle)

• aparāṇi: other (ones)
• aparāṇi: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘अन्यानि’ इत्यर्थे

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; directly addressing dvijāḥ before sages speak at v.17)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Koṭitīrtha (Koṭi)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijāḥ/Ṛṣis addressed directly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim bathes first at Koṭitīrtha; behind him, signposts to other tīrthas fade into the background, while a calm halo indicates inner release and completion.

Characters & Entities

• Koṭitīrtha
• Setu (Rāmeśvaram/Setubandha region)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text asserts a hierarchy of sacred places: Koṭitīrtha is praised as so complete in fruit that it renders further pilgrimage unnecessary.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Koṭitīrtha in the Setu region (Rāmeśvaram/Setubandha).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing at Koṭitīrtha—especially as an initial act—framed as granting a liberating result (mukti-phala).