Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

स्नानमात्रेण वै लक्ष्म्यास्तीर्थेऽस्मि न्धर्मनंदन । रंभामप्सरसां श्रेष्ठां लब्धवानवधो नृपः

Transliteration

snānamātreṇa vai lakṣmyāstīrthe'smi ndharmanaṃdana | raṃbhāmapsarasāṃ śreṣṭhāṃ labdhavānavadho nṛpaḥ

Translation

يا دهرمانندانا، إنّ الملكَ أڤadha قد نالَ رامبها، وهي أسمى الأبساراس، بمجردِ اغتسالٍ واحدٍ في هذا التيرثا المكرَّس للاكشمي؛ فهذه هي الجلالةُ الظاهرةُ لهذا المَعبرِ المقدّس.

Word by Word

• स्नानमात्रेण: by mere bathing
• स्नानमात्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्नानस्य मात्रम्) → तृतीया एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• लक्ष्म्याः: of Lakṣmī
• लक्ष्म्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• तीर्थे: in the sacred ford (tīrtha)
• तीर्थे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• धर्मनन्दन: O son of Dharma
• धर्मनन्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य नन्दनः)

• रम्भाम्: Rambhā
• रम्भाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रम्भा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• अप्सरसाम्: of the apsarases
• अप्सरसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• श्रेष्ठाम्: the best
• श्रेष्ठाम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier) रम्भाम् इति

• लब्धवान्: having obtained / obtained
• लब्धवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु) + तवत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृतान्त—भूतकृत् (क्तवत्/क्तवतु), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; परस्मैपदी-भावार्थः ‘has obtained’

• अवधः: Avadha (a king)
• अवधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेष-नाम (proper name)

• नृपः: the king
• नृपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; अवधः इत्यस्य अप्पोजिशन (apposition)

Speaker

Narratorial voice within the Setukhaṇḍa (speaker not explicit in the snippet; presented as Purāṇic narration/teaching to a royal listener)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lakṣmī-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dharmanandana (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous coastal/ford setting: a sacred pool/river-mouth marked as Lakṣmī-tīrtha; King Avadha performs a single ceremonial bath; divine radiance rises from the waters; Rambhā, resplendent among apsarases, appears as the granted fruit; attendants and sages witness the marvel.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmī-tīrtha
• Dharma-nandana (Yudhiṣṭhira epithet)
• Rambhā
• Apsarases
• King Avadha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a simple act like bathing at a celebrated tīrtha can yield extraordinary fruit when performed with faith, showing the Purāṇic emphasis on tīrtha-māhātmya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Lakṣmī-tīrtha, praised for granting prosperity and exceptional boons through snāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at Lakṣmī-tīrtha, presented as efficacious even when done ‘only’ as a bath.