Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

अपि हत्वा स्त्रियं मर्त्यो योऽत्र स्नानं करिष्यति । माघशुक्लतृतीयायां विपाप्मा स भविष्यति

Transliteration

api hatvā striyaṃ martyo yo'tra snānaṃ kariṣyati | māghaśuklatṛtīyāyāṃ vipāpmā sa bhaviṣyati

Translation

แม้ผู้เป็นมนุษย์จะเคยฆ่าสตรีก็ตาม แต่ผู้ใดอาบน้ำศักดิ์สิทธิ์ที่นี่ในวันตฤติยาแห่งปักษ์สว่างเดือนมาฆะ ย่อมพ้นบาป

Word by Word

• अपि: even (if)
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपवादार्थक-अव्यय (even/although)

• हत्वा: having killed
• हत्वा: Kriya (Prior action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √han (हन् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (having done)

• स्त्रियम्: a woman
• स्त्रियम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (स्त्री-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• मर्त्यः: a mortal
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: martya (मर्त्य-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्-प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• स्नानम्: bath
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (स्नान-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• करिष्यति: will do
• करिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• माघशुक्लतृतीयायाम्: on the third (lunar day) of the bright fortnight of Māgha
• माघशुक्लतृतीयायाम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māgha (माघ-प्रातिपदिक) + śukla (शुक्ल-प्रातिपदिक) + tṛtīyā (तृतीया-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः (माघस्य शुक्लपक्षस्य तृतीया)

• विपाप्मा: sinless, free from sin
• विपाप्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-pāpman (विपाप्मन्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सः)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भविष्यति: will become
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from adhyāya narrative context; explicit speaker appears at 62.88)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A penitent pilgrim enters sacred waters at dawn on Māgha śukla tṛtīyā; the water glows subtly, suggesting sin being washed away; priests and lamps on the bank.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere bathing at a praised tīrtha, performed on an auspicious tithi, is taught as a powerful means of pāpa-kṣaya (removal of sin).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse refers to the local tīrtha later named Śarmiṣṭhātīrtha in this adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snāna (ritual bathing) at the tīrtha on Māgha-śukla-tṛtīyā.