Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

ततो नागसरो गच्छेत्तीर्थं पापप्रणाशनम् । पितॄन्सन्तर्प्य विधिवन्नागलोकमवाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

tato nāgasaro gacchettīrthaṃ pāpapraṇāśanam | pitṝnsantarpya vidhivannāgalokamavāpnuyāt

Translation

Daraufhin soll er nach Nāgasara gehen, zu einem Tīrtha, das Sünde vernichtet. Nachdem er die Ahnen rituell mit Opfergaben gesättigt hat, gelangt er in das Reich der Nāgas.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रमबोधक (then)

• नागसरः: Nāga-lake (Nāgasaras)
• नागसरः: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नागसरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तीर्थम्: to the sacred ford
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• पापप्रणाशनम्: destroyer of sins
• पापप्रणाशनम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप + प्रणाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पापस्य प्रणाशनम्)

• पितॄन्: the ancestors
• पितॄन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• सन्तर्प्य: having satisfied
• सन्तर्प्य: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सन्तृप् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-समकक्ष (Absolutive), पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (having satisfied/propitiated)

• विधिवत्: properly; as prescribed
• विधिवत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: according to rule)

• नागलोकम्: the world of Nāgas
• नागलोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नागानां लोकः)

• अवाप्नुयात्: would attain
• अवाप्नुयात्: Kriya (Result action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgasara

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims (viprendra-s)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred lake with subtle serpent iconography (nāga hoods carved on steps); pilgrims perform tarpaṇa with sesame-water; beneath the waters, a luminous suggestion of Nāga-loka appears like a hidden realm.

Characters & Entities

• Nāgasara
• Pitṛs
• Nāgaloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is completed by dharmic duty to ancestors; tīrtha-worship and pitṛ-satisfaction bring higher attainments.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nāgasara, described as a sin-destroying tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pitṛ-tarpaṇa—ritually satisfying ancestors according to proper injunctions.