Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

भीताऽभयप्रदानेन यत्पुण्यं लभते नरः । तत्पुण्यं समवाप्नोति गोमत्यां स्नानमात्रतः

Transliteration

bhītā'bhayapradānena yatpuṇyaṃ labhate naraḥ | tatpuṇyaṃ samavāpnoti gomatyāṃ snānamātrataḥ

Translation

Welches Verdienst ein Mensch auch erlangt, indem er dem Furchtsamen Furchtlosigkeit schenkt—eben dieses Verdienst gewinnt er schon durch bloßes Baden in der Gomatī.

Word by Word

• भीत: of the frightened
• भीत: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √भी (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘अभयप्रदानेन’ इत्यस्य सम्बन्धे (भीतानाम्)

• अभयप्रदानेन: by giving fearlessness
• अभयप्रदानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभय-प्रदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; अभयस्य प्रदानम् इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘पुण्यम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘पुण्यम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समवाप्नोति: attains
• समवाप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-अव-आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• गोमत्याम्: in the Gomati
• गोमत्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• स्नानमात्रतः: merely by bathing
• स्नानमात्रतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्नान-मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb); ‘स्नानमात्र’ + तः = ‘from/by mere bathing’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya narrative convention within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomatī (Dvārakā)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa (vipra) addressed in the passage

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at dawn bathing in the calm Gomatī near Dvārakā ghats; a compassionate figure offers protection to a frightened being, visually linking abhaya-dāna with tīrtha-snāna.

Characters & Entities

• Gomatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text equates tīrtha-bathing at a supremely holy site with one of the highest ethical gifts—granting protection and fearlessness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gomatī tīrtha connected to Dvārakā’s sacred domain.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) in the Gomatī, praised as conferring great merit even without additional rites.