Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 176

Devanagari script

वरुण उवाच । स्नानार्थं ब्राह्मणेंद्राणां योऽत्र तोयं प्रदास्यति । विमलस्तु सदा भावि इह लोके परत्र च

Transliteration

varuṇa uvāca | snānārthaṃ brāhmaṇeṃdrāṇāṃ yo'tra toyaṃ pradāsyati | vimalastu sadā bhāvi iha loke paratra ca

Translation

Varuṇa sprach: Wer hier Wasser für das Bad erhabener Brahmanen darreicht, bleibt stets makellos rein — in dieser Welt und in der jenseitigen.

Word by Word

• वरुणः: Varuṇa
• वरुणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• स्नानार्थम्: for bathing (purpose)
• स्नानार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्नानस्य अर्थः)

• ब्राह्मणेन्द्राणाम्: of the foremost Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणेन्द्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (ब्राह्मणानाम् इन्द्राः = श्रेष्ठब्राह्मणाः)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• तोयम्: water
• तोयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• प्रदास्यति: will give
• प्रदास्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• विमलः: pure
• विमलः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• भावि: will be / destined to be
• भावि: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भू (धातु) → भाविन् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भाविन्-प्रातिपदिक (future/impending sense), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• इह: in this (world)
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• परत्र: in the next world
• परत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/अवस्थानवाचक-अव्यय (there/afterlife)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

Speaker

Varuṇa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-tīrtha (service locus)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Varuṇa speaks near a water source; attendants carry pots; a benefactor offers clean water for Brāhmaṇas’ bathing; the scene emphasizes clarity, cleanliness, and gentle dignity.

Characters & Entities

• Varuṇa
• Brāhmaṇa
• toya-dāna
• snāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Service that supports sacred bathing (toya-dāna) is a purifier, bringing lasting inner and outer cleanliness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The “here” refers to the celebrated āśrama/tīrtha in Arbuda Khaṇḍa where even supportive gifts like water gain heightened merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Toya-dāna—providing water specifically for the snāna of Brāhmaṇas.