Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

तीर्थे सस्नुः पुरा देवा लक्ष्मीनामनि पुण्यदे । अलभन्त्सर्वमैश्वर्यं तेन पुण्येन धर्मज

Transliteration

tīrthe sasnuḥ purā devā lakṣmīnāmani puṇyade | alabhantsarvamaiśvaryaṃ tena puṇyena dharmaja

Translation

في سالف الزمان اغتسلَتِ الآلهةُ في ذلك المَعبرِ المقدّس المسمّى لاكشمي، يا واهبَ الفضل؛ وبهذا الثوابِ (puṇya)، يا ابنَ دارما، نالوا كلَّ صنوفِ اليسرِ والسلطان.

Word by Word

• tīrthe: in the sacred ford/place of pilgrimage
• tīrthe: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• sasnuḥ: bathed
• sasnuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• purā: formerly, in ancient times
• purā: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• devāḥ: the gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्तृ

• lakṣmī-nāmani: in (the place) named ‘Lakṣmī’
• lakṣmī-nāmani: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmī (प्रातिपदिक) + nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (nāman), सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (lakṣmyāḥ nāmani = ‘in the name of Lakṣmī’)

• puṇya-de: O giver of merit (O Dharmarja)
• puṇya-de: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + de (प्रातिपदिक, ‘giver’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारयार्थे तत्पुरुष (puṇyaṃ dadāti iti)

• alabhan: obtained
• alabhan: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; नकारार्थे अ-आगम (a- prefix)

• sarvam: all, entire
• sarvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (aiśvaryam)

• aiśvaryam: sovereignty, prosperity
• aiśvaryam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aiśvarya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म

• tena: by that, through that
• tena: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/हेतु

• puṇyena: by (that) merit
• puṇyena: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेतु/करण

• dharmaja: O son of Dharma (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• dharmaja: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक, ‘born’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (dharmasya jaḥ)

Speaker

Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lakṣmī-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍava (Dharmaja/Yudhiṣṭhira implied by 'धर्मज')

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas arriving at a luminous coastal/ford-like tīrtha named Lakṣmī; they immerse in clear waters while a subtle aura of Śrī (lotus, golden radiance) rises, signifying prosperity bestowed by the place.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Devas
• Lakṣmī-tīrtha
• Yudhiṣṭhira

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s greatness is validated by divine precedent—what the gods practiced is upheld as dharmic and effective.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Lakṣmī-tīrtha (the tīrtha named ‘Lakṣmī’).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at the tīrtha, supported by the example of the devas.