Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

स्नानेन सत्यमाप्नोति स्नानं धर्मः सनातनः । धर्मान्मोक्षफलं प्राप्य पुनर्नैवावसीदति

Transliteration

snānena satyamāpnoti snānaṃ dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ | dharmānmokṣaphalaṃ prāpya punarnaivāvasīdati

Translation

ด้วยการอาบน้ำศักดิ์สิทธิ์ย่อมบรรลุสัจจะ; การอาบน้ำเป็นธรรมะนิรันดร์ (สันาตนะธรรม) จากธรรมะนั้นย่อมได้ผลคือโมกษะ และเมื่อได้แล้ว ย่อมไม่ตกต่ำอีก

Word by Word

• स्नानेन: by bathing
• स्नानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (करणम्)

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• धर्मः: dharma
• धर्मः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate nominative/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• सनातनः: eternal
• सनातनः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘धर्मः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• धर्मात्: from dharma
• धर्मात्: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (अपादानम्)

• मोक्षफलम्: the fruit of liberation
• मोक्षफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः = मोक्षस्य फलम्

• प्राप्य: having obtained
• प्राप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) → प्राप्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (absolutive/gerund): having obtained

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; क्रियाविशेषणम् (again)

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधारण-निपातः (indeed/just)

• अवसीदति: sinks / falls down
• अवसीदति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + सद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Brahmā (in Brahma–Nārada dialogue; inferred from chapter colophon context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied pilgrim audience / Brāhmaṇa interlocutor in the ongoing discourse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene pilgrim emerges from sacred waters; the water is depicted as luminous ‘satya,’ and a subtle upward path symbolizes mokṣa and the state of non-fall.

Characters & Entities

• Mokṣa
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred bathing is upheld as eternal dharma that leads from truthfulness and purity toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding adhyāya praises Gaṅgā-water bathing (gaṅgodaka-snāna) within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) is prescribed as a sanātana-dharma practice leading to spiritual uplift.