Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

श्रीसूत उवाच । विहिताभिषवो मर्त्यः सर्वतीर्थेऽतिपावने । ब्रह्महत्यादिपापघ्नीं धनुष्कोटिं ततो व्रजेत्

Transliteration

śrīsūta uvāca | vihitābhiṣavo martyaḥ sarvatīrthe'tipāvane | brahmahatyādipāpaghnīṃ dhanuṣkoṭiṃ tato vrajet

Translation

ศรีสูตกล่าวว่า: ครั้นมนุษย์ได้อาบน้ำชำระตามพิธี ณ สรวตีรถะอันยิ่งบริสุทธิ์แล้ว พึงไปยังธนุษโกฏิ อันเป็นสถานที่ทำลายบาปทั้งหลาย เช่น บรหฺมฆาตยา (การฆ่าพราหมณ์) เป็นต้น

Word by Word

• श्रीसूतः: the venerable Sūta
• श्रीसूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीसूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (श्री + सूत)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• विहिताभिषवः: having performed the prescribed libation/pressing (rite)
• विहिताभिषवः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विहित + अभिषव (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-आधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (विहितः अभिषवः यस्य सः)

• मर्त्यः: a mortal man
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सर्वतीर्थे: in the all-holy pilgrimage-place
• सर्वतीर्थे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वतीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (सर्वं तत् तीर्थम्)

• अतिपावने: most purifying
• अतिपावने: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतिपावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; 'सर्वतीर्थे' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• ब्रह्महत्यादिपापघ्नीम्: destroying sins such as brahma-slaughter
• ब्रह्महत्यादिपापघ्नीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या + आदि + पाप + घ्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (ब्रह्महत्यादि-पापानि घ्नन्ती)

• धनुष्कोटिम्: Dhanuṣkoṭi (a sacred place)
• धनुष्कोटिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (धनुषः कोटिः)

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषणम् (तस्मात्/ततः = thereafter/from there)

• व्रजेत्: should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ् (Optative/Imperative sense), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhanuṣkoṭi (after Sarvatīrtha snāna)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (implied standard Sūta frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim, having bathed at a sanctified shore called Sarvatīrtha, sets out along the sandy spit toward Dhanuṣkoṭi; the sea glitters, distant Setu stones/bridge-line is evoked, and ascetics bless the traveler.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Sarvatīrtha
• Dhanuṣkoṭi
• Brahmahatyā (sin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is a dharmic path: proper ritual preparation at one tīrtha leads to deeper purification at another.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhanuṣkoṭi is introduced as a sin-destroying tīrtha, approached after Sarvatīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform the prescribed snāna at Sarvatīrtha, then proceed on yātrā to Dhanuṣkoṭi.