Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

स्नाति चेद्धनुषः कोटौ तस्मिन्नासौ निपात्यते । यो निहत्य तु भर्तारं भुंक्ते तस्य धनादिकान्

Transliteration

snāti ceddhanuṣaḥ koṭau tasminnāsau nipātyate | yo nihatya tu bhartāraṃ bhuṃkte tasya dhanādikān

Translation

แม้นางจะอาบน้ำที่ธนุษโกฏิ นางก็ยังคงถูกทิ้งลงในนรกนั้น นางผู้สังหารสามีแล้วเสวยสุขจากทรัพย์สมบัติของเขา

Word by Word

• स्नाति: bathes
• स्नाति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; धातुः: स्ना

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; शर्तार्थक-निपातः (conditional particle)

• धनुषः: of a bow
• धनुषः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचनम्

• कोटौ: at the tip/end
• कोटौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गम्, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचनम्

• तस्मिन्: in that (place)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निषेध-निपातः (negation particle)

• असौ: that person (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• निपात्यते: is made to fall / is cast down
• निपात्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive sense)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• निहत्य: having killed
• निहत्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि-हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (absolutive/gerund), धातुः: नि-हन्

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-निपातः (emphatic/contrast particle)

• भर्तारम्: husband
• भर्तारम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्

• भुंक्ते: enjoys/consumes
• भुंक्ते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; धातुः: भुज्

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• धनादिकान्: wealth and the like (possessions)
• धनादिकान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचनम्; समासः: धनादि = धनं च आदयः (etc.)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Setu-khaṇḍa admonitions)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhanuṣkoṭi

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark moral tableau: Dhanuṣkoṭi’s seashore with pilgrims bathing, juxtaposed with a shadowy vision of Yama’s realm where the husband-slayer is dragged toward punishment, underscoring that sacred waters do not cleanse unrepented mahāpātaka.

Characters & Entities

• Dhanuṣkoṭi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha merit is not a license for atrocity; extreme sins (mahāpātakas) are condemned and lead to severe punishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhanuṣkoṭi in the Setu region—mentioned as a powerful tīrtha, yet not portrayed as overriding deliberate, heinous crime.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at Dhanuṣkoṭi is referenced, but explicitly stated as ineffective for absolving the described crime.