Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

तस्मिञ्जले स्नानपरो नरो यदि संध्यां विधायानु करोति तर्पणम् । श्राद्धं पितॄणां च ददाति दक्षिणां भवोद्भवं पश्यति मुच्यते भवात्

Transliteration

tasmiñjale snānaparo naro yadi saṃdhyāṃ vidhāyānu karoti tarpaṇam | śrāddhaṃ pitṝṇāṃ ca dadāti dakṣiṇāṃ bhavodbhavaṃ paśyati mucyate bhavāt

Translation

مَن اغتسل في تلك المياه بتعبّد، وأقام شعائر السَّندْهيا (sandhyā)، ثم قدّم طَرْپَنا (tarpaṇa)؛ وأقام شْرادْدها (śrāddha) للآباء الأسلاف (Pitṛ) وأعطى الدَّكْشِنا (dakṣiṇā) المستحقة—فإنه يشاهد «بهافودبهافا» (Bhavodbhava) ويُعتَق من البهافا (bhava)، أي صيرورة العالم.

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (सन्दर्भानुसार), सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• जले: in the water
• जले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• स्नानपरः: devoted to bathing
• स्नानपरः: Visheshana (Qualifier of ‘नरः’/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्नान-पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (स्नाने परः = स्नान-निष्ठः)

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

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• संध्याम्: the twilight rite (sandhyā)
• संध्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• विधाय: having performed
• विधाय: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having performed/arranged’

• अनु: after / following
• अनु: Sambandha (Preverb/उपसर्गार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (preverb/adverb: ‘after, following’)

• करोति: does / performs
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• तर्पणम्: oblations (tarpaṇa)
• तर्पणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

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

• ददाति: gives
• ददाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• दक्षिणाम्: a fee/gift (dakṣiṇā)
• दक्षिणाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• भवोद्भवम्: Bhavodbhava (one born of Bhava; epithet/name)
• भवोद्भवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव-उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (भवात् उद्भवः = भवोद्भवः)

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मुच्यते: is released
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Result/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• भवात्: from worldly existence (bhava)
• भवात्: Apadana (Source/Release-from/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

Speaker

Sārasvata (inferred)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Svarṇarekhā-jala tīrtha (Vastrāpatha-kṣetra)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at dawn in golden river-water performs snāna; then stands in sandhyā posture facing the sun; offers tarpaṇa with cupped hands; a śrāddha scene with brāhmaṇas receiving dakṣiṇā; finally, the pilgrim beholds a Śiva-liṅga or Śiva as Bhavodbhava, with a serene aura suggesting liberation.

Characters & Entities

• Sandhyā
• Tarpaṇa
• Śrāddha
• Pitṛ
• Dakṣiṇā
• Bhavodbhava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage becomes transformative when joined with daily dharma—sandhyā, ancestral offerings, and generosity—leading toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sacred waters associated with Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing in the tīrtha, performing sandhyā, offering tarpaṇa, conducting śrāddha for the Pitṛs, and giving dakṣiṇā.