Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

स्नानकाले तु देवस्य शंखादीनां तु वादनम् । कुरुते ब्रह्मलोके तु वसते ब्रह्मवासरम्

Transliteration

snānakāle tu devasya śaṃkhādīnāṃ tu vādanam | kurute brahmaloke tu vasate brahmavāsaram

Translation

Wer zur Zeit des rituellen Bades des Herrn das Muschelhorn (Śaṅkha) und andere glückverheißende Instrumente erklingen lässt, erlangt Wohnstatt in Brahmās Welt und verweilt dort für einen „Tag Brahmās“, eine gewaltige kosmische Spanne.

Word by Word

• स्नानकाले: at the time of bathing
• स्नानकाले: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान + काल (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (स्नानस्य कालः)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Avyaya-bhāva (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• देवस्य: of the deity
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• शंखादीनाम्: of conches and the like
• शंखादीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंख + आदि (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (शंखः आदिः येषाम्)

• तु: and/indeed
• तु: Avyaya-bhāva (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• वादनम्: playing/sounding (instruments)
• वादनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वादन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कुरुते: does/performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मलोके: in Brahma-loka
• ब्रह्मलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + लोक (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः लोकः)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Avyaya-bhāva (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• वसते: dwells
• वसते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मवासरम्: (for) a day of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मवासरम्: Karma (Extent/Duration as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + वासर (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः वासरः = 'a day of Brahmā')

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Dvārakā Māhātmya; likely Sūta in Purāṇic frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahīpāla (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the moment of the deity’s bath, priests pour water while devotees blow conches; drums and cymbals accompany, filling the temple courtyard with auspicious sound.

Characters & Entities

• Deva (the Lord)
• Śaṅkha (conch)
• Brahmaloka
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional service even through auspicious sound (conch and instruments) during worship is counted as powerful bhakti and yields exalted merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, presented in the Dvārakā Māhātmya section of the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sounding the conch and similar instruments at the time of the Lord’s ceremonial bath (snāna-kāla).