Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

पांडवानां महातीर्थे पुण्ययोगेषु यो नरः । स्नायात्स मनुज श्रेष्ठो नरकं नैव पश्यति

Transliteration

pāṃḍavānāṃ mahātīrthe puṇyayogeṣu yo naraḥ | snāyātsa manuja śreṣṭho narakaṃ naiva paśyati

Translation

ผู้ใดอาบสรง ณมหาตีรถะของปาณฑพ ในกาลแห่งโยคะอันเป็นมงคลและบุญกุศล ผู้นั้นเป็นยอดแห่งมนุษย์ และไม่เคยประสบเห็นนรก

Word by Word

• पाण्डवानाम्: of the Pāṇḍavas
• पाण्डवानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• महातीर्थे: in the great tīrtha
• महातीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् तीर्थम्)

• पुण्ययोगेषु: on auspicious occasions/holy conjunctions
• पुण्ययोगेषु: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषभावः (पुण्याः योगाः)

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

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्नायात्: should bathe
• स्नायात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मनुज: man, human
• मनुज: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘श्रेष्ठः’ इत्यस्य विशेष्यभावेन

• श्रेष्ठः: excellent, best
• श्रेष्ठः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मनुजस्य)

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

• एव: at all, indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphasis)

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Brahmakhaṇḍa narrative style within Setukhaṇḍa Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pāṇḍavānāṃ Mahātīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand festival bathing scene at the Pandava tīrtha: pilgrims enter the water at dawn under auspicious celestial alignments; above, a radiant protective canopy symbolizes ‘never seeing hell’, while the bank glows with lamps and banners.

Characters & Entities

• Pāṇḍavas
• Pāṇḍava Mahā-tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right place and right time—bathing at a sanctified tīrtha on holy occasions—intensifies merit and protects from grievous karmic outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Pāṇḍavas’ Mahā-tīrtha (often identified as the Pañca-Pāṇḍava tīrtha) within Setukhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at the Mahā-tīrtha specifically during puṇya-yogas (auspicious sacred times).