Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 111

Devanagari script

प्रधानतीर्थान्येतानि महापापहराणि च । कथितानि द्विजश्रेष्ठास्सेतुमध्यगतानि वै

Transliteration

pradhānatīrthānyetāni mahāpāpaharāṇi ca | kathitāni dvijaśreṣṭhāssetumadhyagatāni vai

Translation

یہی بڑے اور اصلی تیرتھ ہیں، اور یہ عظیم گناہوں کو بھی مٹا دیتے ہیں۔ اے بہترین دِویجوں! یہ سب سیتو کے بیچ کے علاقے میں واقع ہیں—یوں تم سے بیان کیے گئے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• प्रधानतीर्थानि: principal tīrthas
• प्रधानतीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रधान (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः: प्रधान-तीर्थ (कर्मधारय) — ‘principal sacred places’

• एतानि: these
• एतानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — ‘these’ (demonstrative)

• महापापहराणि: removing great sins
• महापापहराणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + हर (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः: महा-पाप-हर (तत्पुरुष) — ‘removers of great sins’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक-निपात) — ‘and’

• कथितानि: have been described
• कथितानि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कथ् (धातु) → कथित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — ‘told/declared’

• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन, बहुवचन; समासः: द्विज-श्रेष्ठ (तत्पुरुष) — ‘O best of Brahmins’

• सेतुमध्यगतानि: located in the middle of the Setu
• सेतुमध्यगतानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सेतु (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘गत’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः: सेतु-मध्य-गत (तत्पुरुष) — ‘situated in the middle of the Setu’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात; अवधारण/खलु-अर्थ) — ‘indeed/verily’

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu pradhāna-tīrthas (collective)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija-śreṣṭhas (assembled brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-teacher addressing assembled brāhmaṇas, gesturing toward a stylized map of Setu with highlighted ‘chief tīrthas’; the sea and bridge motif in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Setu
• dvijaśreṣṭhas
• tīrthas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage to the foremost tīrthas, when undertaken in dharma, is portrayed as a powerful means of moral purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises the ‘principal tīrthas’ located within Setu as a collective sacred network.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is detailed; the emphasis is on the tīrthas’ inherent pāpa-hara (sin-removing) potency.