Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

अग्नितीर्थे गते चित्रे स्ना नार्थं लवणाम्भसि । स तत्र प्रविशन्नेव नीतस्तु यमकिंकरैः

Transliteration

agnitīrthe gate citre snā nārthaṃ lavaṇāmbhasi | sa tatra praviśanneva nītastu yamakiṃkaraiḥ

Translation

Als Citra zum Agnitīrtha ging, um im salzigen Meerwasser zu baden, wurde er in dem Augenblick, da er eintrat, von Yamas Dienern ergriffen und fortgeführt.

Word by Word

• अग्नितीर्थे: at Agni-tīrtha
• अग्नितीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नितीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अग्नेः तीर्थम्)

• गते: when (he) had gone
• गते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘गत’, पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (when (he) had gone)

• चित्रे: (in the case of) Chitra
• चित्रे: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (in/when Chitra)

• स्नानार्थम्: for bathing
• स्नानार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुषः (स्नानाय अर्थः) = प्रयोजनम्

• लवणाम्भसि: in salty water (sea)
• लवणाम्भसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लवण + अम्भस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (लवणम् अम्भः)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masc., nominative singular)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place: there)

• प्रविशन्: entering
• प्रविशन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र (उपसर्ग) + विश् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (entering)

• एव: just; indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (particle: just/indeed)

• नीतः: was taken/led
• नीतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त ‘नीत’, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे (was led)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विशेषार्थक निपात (particle: however/indeed)

• यमकिंकरैः: by Yama’s servants
• यमकिंकरैः: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम + किंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यमस्य किंकराः)

Speaker

Unspecified in excerpt (within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya narration; traditionally Sūta narrating to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Agnitīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī/Umā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Citra steps into the sea at Agnitīrtha for bathing; at the instant of immersion, stern Yamakiṅkaras appear and seize him, creating a dramatic contrast between sacred water and fearsome emissaries.

Characters & Entities

• Agnitīrtha
• Citra
• Yama
• Yamakiṅkara (Yamadūta)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even sacred acts like tīrtha-bathing do not negate moral accountability; dharma and karma remain decisive.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Agnitīrtha in Prabhāsakṣetra, associated with sea-bathing in the sacred coastal region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (holy bathing) in the salty sea-water at Agnitīrtha.