Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

पृथिव्यां सर्वतीर्थेषु स्नात्वा यत्फलमाप्यते । तन्महीसागरे प्रोक्तं कुमारस्य वचो यथा

Transliteration

pṛthivyāṃ sarvatīrtheṣu snātvā yatphalamāpyate | tanmahīsāgare proktaṃ kumārasya vaco yathā

Translation

Welche Frucht auch immer durch das Bad in allen heiligen Tīrthas der Erde erlangt wird—eben dieses Verdienst wird, gemäß dem Wort Kumāras (Skandas), für Mahīsāgara verkündet.

Word by Word

• पृथिव्याम्: on the earth
• पृथिव्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वतीर्थेषु: in all pilgrimage places
• सर्वतीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘all holy-places’

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (Adverbial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) → स्नात्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: अव्यय-कृदन्त (क्त्वा/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having bathed)

• यत्: which/whatever
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative)

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

• आप्यते: is obtained
• आप्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संकेत (that)

• महीसागरे: in the Mahī-sāgara (Mahī-ocean)
• महीसागरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही + सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रोक्तम्: is stated/declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः ‘is said’

• कुमारस्य: of Kumāra
• कुमारस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वचः: word/saying
• वचः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यथा: as/according to
• यथा: Sambandha (manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (as/according to)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa framing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahīsāgara

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the river-sea confluence, pilgrims bathe at dawn; Skanda/Kumāra appears as a radiant youthful deity blessing the waters, indicating the guarantee of universal tīrtha fruit.

Characters & Entities

• Kumāra (Skanda)
• Mahīsāgara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A single, divinely praised tīrtha can bestow the same merit as many pilgrimages when approached with faith and purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahīsāgara—presented as a supremely meritorious bathing-place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) in the tīrtha is highlighted as the means for attaining great spiritual fruit.