Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

स्नाति चेद्धनुषः कोटौ तस्मिन्नासौ निपात्यते । अगम्यां योभिगच्छेत स्त्रियं वै पुरुषाधमः

Transliteration

snāti ceddhanuṣaḥ koṭau tasminnāsau nipātyate | agamyāṃ yobhigaccheta striyaṃ vai puruṣādhamaḥ

Translation

หากเขาอาบน้ำชำระที่ธนุษโกฏิ ก็จะไม่ถูกทอดลงที่นั่น; แต่บุรุษผู้ต่ำช้าที่เข้าไปหาสตรีผู้ไม่พึงเข้าหา (ในทางกาม) ย่อมก่อบาปหนักยิ่ง।

Word by Word

• स्नाति: bathes
• स्नाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-निपात (conditional particle)

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

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

• तस्मिन्: there/in that (place)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• असौ: that person (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• निपात्यते: is made to fall / is cast down
• निपात्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि (उपसर्ग) + पत् (धातु) + णिच् → निपातयति; कर्मणि प्रयोगः
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि (passive)

• अगम्याम्: an unapproachable/forbidden (woman)
• अगम्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अगम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• अभिगच्छेत्: should approach / has intercourse with
• अभिगच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि (उपसर्ग) + गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• स्त्रियम्: a woman
• स्त्रियम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/खलु-अर्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• पुरुषाधमः: the vilest of men
• पुरुषाधमः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक) + अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (adhamaḥ puruṣaḥ)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Setu-khaṇḍa narrative voice within Brahmakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhanus-koṭi

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at dawn bathing at the wind-swept Dhanuskoṭi shore where two seas meet; behind, a subtle moral tableau: the shadow of Saṃdaṃśa naraka recedes as the bather emerges purified.

Characters & Entities

• Dhanuskoṭi (tīrtha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa pairs moral restraint with sacred remedies, warning against forbidden relations while praising tīrtha-snāna as a purifier.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhanuskoṭi is again highlighted as a protective bathing-place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at Dhanuskoṭi is stated; ethical restraint regarding ‘agamyā’ is also prescribed.