Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तत्र स्नात्वा गृहीत्वापो बिले तस्मिन्व्रजंति ताः । तत्र वैनायके पीठे महत्पाषाणजं जलम्

Transliteration

tatra snātvā gṛhītvāpo bile tasminvrajaṃti tāḥ | tatra vaināyake pīṭhe mahatpāṣāṇajaṃ jalam

Translation

Dort baden sie, schöpfen Wasser und treten in jene Höhle ein. Dort, am heiligen Sitz des Vaināyaka, quillt reichlich Wasser aus einem gewaltigen Felsen hervor.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• गृहीत्वा: having taken
• गृहीत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• आपः: waters
• आपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; (आपः इति बहुवचन-रूपम्)

• बिले: in the cave
• बिले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: in that (place)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• व्रजन्ति: they go/enter
• व्रजन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• ताः: those (women)
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• वैनायके: in (the place) of Vaināyaka (Gaṇeśa-related)
• वैनायके: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैनायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• पीठे: at the sacred seat/altar
• पीठे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• महत्-पाषाण-जम्: born from a great rock/stone-origin
• महत्-पाषाण-जम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पाषाण (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः; पाषाणात् जातम्, महत् पाषाणः यस्य/यतः), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaināyaka-pīṭha (within/near the eastern cave)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pātāla maidens bathe, then fill vessels with water and disappear into the cave; within, a Vaināyaka seat is shown beside a great stone from which abundant water gushes forth.

Characters & Entities

• Vaināyaka (Gaṇeśa)
• Pīṭha (sacred seat)
• Bila (cave)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divinity is embedded in sacred landscapes; waters connected to a deity’s pīṭha are portrayed as uniquely potent and transformative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The cave (bila) and the Vaināyaka pīṭha within the Arbuda-khaṇḍa sacred region, featuring a stone-born spring.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe, then take (collect) the sacred water and proceed to/through the cave—implying a tīrtha-circulation and water-collection practice.