Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

प्रह्लादतीर्थं तद्याम्ये महाभक्तिफलप्रदम् । तत्र वै स्नानमात्रेण विष्णोः प्रियतरो भवेत्

Transliteration

prahlādatīrthaṃ tadyāmye mahābhaktiphalapradam | tatra vai snānamātreṇa viṣṇoḥ priyataro bhavet

Translation

Im Süden liegt die Prahlāda-Tīrtha, die die Frucht großer Hingabe verleiht. Schon durch das bloße Bad dort wird man Viṣṇu besonders lieb.

Word by Word

• प्रह्लादतीर्थम्: the Prahlāda-tīrtha
• प्रह्लादतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रह्लादतीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; प्रह्लाद + तीर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नामधेय-समासः

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तीर्थम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम् (‘that’)

• याम्ये: in the southern (quarter/part)
• याम्ये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: याम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; दिशावाचक-विशेषणम् (southern)

• महाभक्तिफलप्रदम्: bestowing the fruit of great devotion
• महाभक्तिफलप्रदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाभक्तिफलप्रद (प्रातिपदिक; महा + भक्ति + फल + प्रद)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः—‘महाभक्तेः फलम् प्रददाति’ इति; तीर्थम् इति विशेषणम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis/assurance)

• स्नानमात्रेण: by mere bathing
• स्नानमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नानमात्र (प्रातिपदिक; स्नान + मात्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; ‘केवलस्नानेन’ इत्यर्थः

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• प्रियतरः: dearer
• प्रियतरः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रियतर (प्रातिपदिक; प्रिय + तरप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तुलनात्मक-विशेषणम् (comparative)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prahlāda-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a southern Kashi ghat, a devotee bathes while envisioning Prahlāda’s steadfast devotion; above, Viṣṇu’s benign presence is suggested through a luminous aura or a subtle Nṛsiṃha emblem, indicating becoming ‘dear to Viṣṇu’.

Characters & Entities

• Prahlāda-tīrtha
• Prahlāda
• Viṣṇu
• Kāśī (Varanasi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhakti is made accessible: even a simple act like tīrtha-bathing, when done with faith, is said to deepen divine intimacy with Viṣṇu.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prahlāda-tīrtha, indicated as situated to the south in the Kāśī tīrtha layout.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna-mātra—bathing alone (with devotion) at the tīrtha.