Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

वरदाने नरः स्नातो गोसहस्रफलं लभेत् । विष्णुदुर्वाससोर्यत्र वरदानमभूत्पुरा

Transliteration

varadāne naraḥ snāto gosahasraphalaṃ labhet | viṣṇudurvāsasoryatra varadānamabhūtpurā

Translation

مَنِ اغتسلَ في فَرَدَانَا (Varadāna) نالَ ثوابًا كمن تَصَدَّقَ بألفِ بقرة؛ إذ هنا، في سالفِ الزمان، وقعَ منحُ النِّعَمِ من فيشنو (Viṣṇu) والقدّيس دورفاسا (Durvāsā).

Word by Word

• वरदाने: at/in Varadāna (the tīrtha)
• वरदाने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्नातः: having bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (Agent as qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गो-सहस्र-फलम्: the merit equal to (gift of) a thousand cows
• गो-सहस्र-फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (determinative: 'fruit/result of a thousand cows'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• विष्णुदुर्वाससोः: of Viṣṇu and Durvāsas
• विष्णुदुर्वाससोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + दुर्वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), द्विवचन (Dual)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location marker/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (relative adverb: 'where')

• वरदानम्: boon-giving (act/name)
• वरदानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• अभूत्: happened/occurred
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: 'formerly')

Speaker

Prahlāda (deduced from immediate narrative flow in Adhyāya 4)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Varadāna

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Viprendras (implied continuation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims bathe at Varadāna while priests recite; in a subtle overlay, the ancient moment of Kṛṣṇa and Durvāsā’s boon-bestowal is evoked, signifying the go-sahasra-equivalent merit.

Characters & Entities

• Varadāna Tīrtha
• Viṣṇu
• Durvāsā
• Dvārakā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-snāna, grounded in sacred history, can yield merits comparable to great acts of charity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Varadāna Tīrtha at Dvārakā, linked to the ancient boon-exchange of Viṣṇu and Durvāsā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at Varadāna tīrtha; the stated fruit equals go-dāna of a thousand cows.