Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण यज्ञैर्दानेन वा पुनः । गतिं तां न लभेन्मर्त्यो यां साध्यामृतमज्जनात्

Transliteration

tapasā brahmacaryeṇa yajñairdānena vā punaḥ | gatiṃ tāṃ na labhenmartyo yāṃ sādhyāmṛtamajjanāt

Translation

ด้วยตบะ พรหมจรรย์ ยัญญะ หรือแม้ทาน มนุษย์ผู้เป็นมรรตยะก็ไม่อาจได้ถึงคติอันนั้น ซึ่งได้มาด้วยการดำดิ่งในสายน้ำสาธยามฤตะ

Word by Word

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्रह्मचर्येण: by celibacy / brahmacarya
• ब्रह्मचर्येण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• यज्ञैः: by sacrifices
• यज्ञैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• दानेन: by giving / charity
• दानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: 'or')

• पुनः: again / indeed
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति/पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'again/indeed')

• गतिम्: state/goal (destiny)
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ताम्: that
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun used adjectivally)

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

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• मर्त्यः: a mortal
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• याम्: which
• याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• साध्यामृतमज्जनात्: from bathing in Sādhyāmṛta (holy nectar-water)
• साध्यामृतमज्जनात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साध्य-अमृत-मज्जन (प्रातिपदिक; साध्य + अमृत + मज्जन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन (Singular); हेतौ/कारणार्थे (ablative of cause/source)

Speaker

Deductive: a Purāṇic narrator within Setukhaṇḍa (likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sādhyāmṛta

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contrast tableau: on one side ascetics performing tapas and a yajña-fire; on the other, a devotee immersing in radiant waters labeled Sādhyāmṛta, with a path of light rising upward symbolizing ‘gati’.

Characters & Entities

• Sādhyāmṛta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage-bathing at a divinely praised tīrtha is exalted as an especially powerful means to attain a supreme spiritual destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Sādhyāmṛta-jala (the Sādhyāmṛta sacred waters) in the Setukhaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Majjana/Snāna—immersive bathing in Sādhyāmṛta waters.