Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

सारस्वत उवाच । वामनो वसतिं चक्रे भवस्याग्रे नृपोत्तम । स्वर्णरेखाजले स्नात्वा भवं सम्पूज्य भावतः

Transliteration

sārasvata uvāca | vāmano vasatiṃ cakre bhavasyāgre nṛpottama | svarṇarekhājale snātvā bhavaṃ sampūjya bhāvataḥ

Translation

قال ساراسڤاتا: «يا خيرَ الملوك، إنّ فامانا اتّخذ مقامًا في حضرة بهافا (شيفا). وبعد أن اغتسل في مياه سفَرْنَرِخا، عبدَ بهافا بعبادةٍ صادقةٍ من أعماق القلب».

Word by Word

• sārasvataḥ: Sārasvata
• sārasvataḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sārasvata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• vāmanaḥ: Vāmana
• vāmanaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāmana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vasatim: a dwelling/residence
• vasatim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• cakre: made
• cakre: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• bhavasya: of Bhava (Śiva)
• bhavasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• agre: in front (of)
• agre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• nṛpa-uttama: O best of kings
• nṛpa-uttama: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समासः नृपः उत्तमः (कर्मधारय)

• svarṇarekhā-jale: in the water of (the river) Svarṇarekhā
• svarṇarekhā-jale: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarṇa + rekhā + jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः स्वर्णरेखा-जल (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘of Svarṇarekhā’ + ‘water’)

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (धातु) → snāta (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having bathed)

• bhavam: Bhava (Śiva)
• bhavam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• sampūjya: having worshipped well
• sampūjya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + √pūj (धातु) → sampūjya (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्/य-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक (having duly worshipped)

• bhāvataḥ: devoutly
• bhāvataḥ: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (with devotion/with true feeling)

Speaker

Sārasvata

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Svarṇarekhā (at Vastrāpatha)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vāmana, the dwarf brāhmaṇa form, settles near Śiva’s shrine; he bathes in the shimmering Svarṇarekhā waters and offers pūjā to Bhava with concentrated devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Sārasvata
• Vāmana
• Bhava (Śiva)
• Svarṇarekhā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

At a holy place, purification through bathing and sincere worship of the deity is presented as the proper foundation for spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Svarṇarekhā-jala (the sacred waters) and Vastrāpatha Mahākṣetra within Prabhāsa are highlighted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) in Svarṇarekhā and devotional pūjā of Bhava (Śiva).