Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अश्वमेधसहस्रेण सम्यग्यष्टेन यत्फलम् । स्नानमात्रेण तत्प्रोक्तं चक्रतीर्थे द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

aśvamedhasahasreṇa samyagyaṣṭena yatphalam | snānamātreṇa tatproktaṃ cakratīrthe dvijottamāḥ

Translation

Welche Frucht auch immer durch tausend rechtmäßig vollzogene Aśvamedha-Opfer erlangt wird—dieselbe Frucht, o Bester der Zweimalgeborenen, wird schon durch bloßes Baden in Cakratīrtha verkündet.

Word by Word

• अश्वमेधसहस्रेण: by (performing) a thousand Aśvamedha sacrifices
• अश्वमेधसहस्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अश्वमेधानां सहस्रेण = by a thousand Aśvamedhas); नपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental), एकवचनम्

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• यष्टेन: by a duly performed (sacrifice)
• यष्टेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) ‘यष्ट’ (having been sacrificed/performed); नपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्यक् इत्यनेन विशेषितम्

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta/Pratipadyam (Subject/that which is stated)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• स्नानमात्रेण: by mere bathing
• स्नानमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (मात्रा-विशेषणार्थ: ‘only bathing’); नपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• तत्: that (same)
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अन्वयः ‘तत् (फलम्)’

• प्रोक्तम्: is declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘said/declared’

• चक्रतीर्थे: at Cakra-tīrtha
• चक्रतीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्रतीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-सम्भव (चक्रस्य तीर्थम्); नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), एकवचनम्

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (श्रेष्ठा द्विजाः); पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; संबोधनार्थे प्रयोगः (vocative sense)

Speaker

Deductive (Dvārakā Māhātmya narrator within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa; traditionally Sūta speaking in Purāṇic frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakratīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottamāḥ (learned brāhmaṇas/pilgrims)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant Cakratīrtha ghāṭa where a single pilgrim’s immersion is visually paralleled by a thousand Aśvamedha altars fading into the background—showing equivalence of merit through sacred place.

Characters & Entities

• Cakratīrtha
• Aśvamedha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A true tīrtha concentrates immense merit—simple acts done there can equal grand Vedic sacrifices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Cakratīrtha in Dvārakā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at Cakratīrtha is prescribed and praised as extraordinarily meritorious.