Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

गोमत्यां स्नाति यो भक्त्या माघं माधववल्लभम् । समाप्तौ रक्तवस्त्राणि कञ्चुकोष्णीषमेव च

Transliteration

gomatyāṃ snāti yo bhaktyā māghaṃ mādhavavallabham | samāptau raktavastrāṇi kañcukoṣṇīṣameva ca

Translation

من اغتسل في نهر غوماتي بتعبّد طوال شهر ماغها—وهو شهرٌ محبوبٌ لدى ماذافا—فعند ختام النذر فليتصدّق بثيابٍ حمراء، وبقميصٍ (كنچوكا) وعمامةٍ (أُنيشا) أيضًا.

Word by Word

• gomatyām: in (the river) Gomati
• gomatyām: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gomatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), एकवचनम्

• snāti: bathes
• snāti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (स्ना धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धबोधकः (relative pronoun)

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• māgham: (in the month of) Māgha
• māgham: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māgha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कालवाचकः (month-name)

• mādhava-vallabham: dear to Mādhava (Viṣṇu)
• mādhava-vallabham: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mādhava (प्रातिपदिक) + vallabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying māgham: dear to Mādhava)

• samāptau: at the conclusion
• samāptau: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samāpti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• rakta-vastrāṇi: red garments
• rakta-vastrāṇi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakta (प्रातिपदिक) + vastra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• kañcuka-uṣṇīṣam: a tunic and a turban (together)
• kañcuka-uṣṇīṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kañcuka (प्रातिपदिक) + uṣṇīṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (collective dvandva)

• eva: indeed; just
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम् (emphatic/limiting particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomatī (Dvārakā)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dawn on Māgha month at the Gomatī ghāṭa in Dvārakā: devotees step into cool water with folded hands; at the end of the observance, red cloth bundles, a tunic, and a turban are offered near a Vaiṣṇava shrine with lamps and conch sounds.

Characters & Entities

• Gomatī
• Mādhava (Viṣṇu)
• Māgha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A vow culminates in gratitude expressed through dāna; merit is sealed by giving at the observance’s end.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gomatī tīrtha in the Dvārakā region, praised for Māgha-month bathing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Māgha-long bathing in Gomatī and, at completion, gifting red garments along with a tunic and a turban.