Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

एताश्चान्याश्च बहवो हिमवत्प्रभवाः शुभाः । तासु स्नातो नरः स्वर्गं याति पातकवर्जितः

Transliteration

etāścānyāśca bahavo himavatprabhavāḥ śubhāḥ | tāsu snāto naraḥ svargaṃ yāti pātakavarjitaḥ

Translation

هذه وغيرها كثير من الأنهار المباركة المنبثقة من هيمَفَت؛ من اغتسل فيها مضى إلى السماء، منزَّهًا عن الإثم.

Word by Word

• एताः: these (rivers)
• एताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अन्याः: others
• अन्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• बहवः: many
• बहवः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘नद्यः’ (स्त्री) प्रति अर्थतः विशेषणं, परन्तु रूपेण पुंलिङ्ग-प्रथमा-बहुवचन (usage)

• हिमवत्प्रभवाः: arising from the Himālaya
• हिमवत्प्रभवाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हिमवत् + प्रभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—हिमवतः प्रभवाः (originating from Himavat)

• शुभाः: auspicious
• शुभाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तासु: in them (in those rivers)
• तासु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन

• स्नातः: having bathed
• स्नातः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्ना (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘स्नात’ = having bathed

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

• स्वर्गम्: to heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• याति: goes/attains
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पातकवर्जितः: free from sin
• पातकवर्जितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पातक + वर्जित (√वृज्/√वर्ज् धातु, क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—पातकैः वर्जितः (free from sins)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Himavat-prabhava nadyaḥ (collective sacred rivers)

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Gaja

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands waist-deep in a clear, fast Himalayan river, hands joined in añjali; snowy peaks of Himavat rise behind; sages on the bank chant while sunlight glitters on the water, suggesting sin washing away and ascent to svarga.

Characters & Entities

• Himavat (Himalaya)
• Sacred rivers (tīrthas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-snāna is portrayed as a powerful dharmic purifier that leads to sinlessness and heavenly attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya (Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa), while referencing a wider network of Himalayan-origin sacred rivers.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) in sacred rivers, with the stated fruit of pāpa-kṣaya and svarga-prāpti.