Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

तत्फलं लभते मर्त्यः स्नातो भद्रह्रदे ध्रुवम् । पूर्वाभाद्रपदा युक्ता पौर्णमासी यदा भवेत्

Transliteration

tatphalaṃ labhate martyaḥ snāto bhadrahrade dhruvam | pūrvābhādrapadā yuktā paurṇamāsī yadā bhavet

Translation

Ein Sterblicher, der im Bhadrahrada badet, erlangt gewiss eben dieses Verdienst. Besonders dann, wenn der Vollmondtag mit Pūrvābhādrapadā zusammenfällt.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘तत् फलम्’ इति विशेषण

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √labh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मर्त्यः: a mortal person
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: martya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्नातः: having bathed
• स्नातः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: snāta (प्रातिपदिक; √snā (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘स्नानं कृतवान्’

• भद्रह्रदे: in Bhadrahrada
• भद्रह्रदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhadrahrada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; स्थानवाचक

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण (certainly)

• पूर्वाभाद्रपदा: Pūrvabhādrapadā (nakṣatra)
• पूर्वाभाद्रपदा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrvā + bhādrapadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नक्षत्रनाम; कर्मधारयः ‘पूर्वा भाद्रपदा’

• युक्ता: joined/associated
• युक्ता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuktā (प्रातिपदिक; √yuj (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘युक्ता/संयुक्ता’

• पौर्णमासी: the full-moon day
• पौर्णमासी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paurṇamāsī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; पूर्णिमा-तिथि

• यदा: when
• यदा: Sambandha (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal conjunction/adverb)

• भवेत्: should occur/be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhadrahrada

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night-to-dawn full-moon scene over Bhadrahrada; the moon reflected on pale waters, priests and pilgrims performing snāna at first light. A subtle star-map motif indicates Pūrvābhādrapadā conjunction; offerings and dāna follow on the bank.

Characters & Entities

• Bhadrahrada
• Paurṇamāsī (full moon)
• Pūrvābhādrapadā (nakṣatra)
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred bathing in Kāśī, timed with auspicious lunar configurations, is taught as a dharmic means to gain immense merit comparable to great charity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bhadrahrada tīrtha in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) in Bhadrahrada, with special emphasis on a Paurṇamāsī that coincides with the nakṣatra Pūrvābhādrapadā.