Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

स्नाति चेद्धनुषः कोटौ तस्मि न्नासौ निपात्यते । यः पशून्पक्षिणो वापि सप्राणान्निरुणद्धि वै

Transliteration

snāti ceddhanuṣaḥ koṭau tasmi nnāsau nipātyate | yaḥ paśūnpakṣiṇo vāpi saprāṇānniruṇaddhi vai

Translation

แม้ผู้ใดจะอาบน้ำชำระที่เสตุตามระยะเพียงปลายคันธนู เขาก็มิอาจพ้นจากการตกลง ณ ที่นั้น หากเขาโหดร้ายกักขังสัตว์มีชีวิต—ทั้งสัตว์และนก—ขณะยังมีลมหายใจอยู่

Word by Word

• स्नाति: bathes
• स्नाति: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्ययम् (conditional particle: 'if')

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

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

• तस्मिन्: there/in that (place)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (सन्दर्भे), सप्तमीविभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्

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

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

• निपात्यते: is made to fall / is cast down
• निपात्यते: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√पत् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (relative pronoun)

• पशून्: animals
• पशून्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचनम्

• पक्षिणः: birds
• पक्षिणः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचनम् (वैदिक/छान्दस-रूपेण)

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

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्ययम् (also/even)

• सप्राणान्: living (with breath)
• सप्राणान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स- (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; समासः: सप्राण = 'प्राणैः सह/प्राणवन्तः' (having life)

• निरुणद्धि: confines/blocks/imprisons
• निरुणद्धि: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्√रुध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Setukhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setutīrtha (Setubandha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (addressed collectively)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at Setu’s shore performs snāna while, in a moral counter-scene, cages/traps with birds and animals appear; the tīrtha’s sanctity contrasts with the cruelty that nullifies merit.

Characters & Entities

• Setu (Rāmeśvaram/Setu-tīrtha)
• Yama (implicit via punishment theme)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-bathing is not a substitute for compassion; cruelty to living beings obstructs purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu-kṣetra (Setu-tīrtha, associated with Rāmeśvaram) is the setting, used to stress dharma alongside pilgrimage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (sacred bathing) is referenced, but the verse warns it is ineffective without ethical conduct (ahiṃsā).