Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

त्रिवार्षिकं व्रतं कुर्या त्प्रतिलोमां सरस्वतीम् । गच्छेद्वापि विशुद्ध्यर्थं तत्पापस्येति निश्चितम्

Transliteration

trivārṣikaṃ vrataṃ kuryā tpratilomāṃ sarasvatīm | gacchedvāpi viśuddhyarthaṃ tatpāpasyeti niścitam

Translation

Man soll ein dreijähriges Gelübde (vrata) auf sich nehmen; oder, zur Reinigung, zur Sarasvatī gehen (in ihrem umgekehrten/flussaufwärts gerichteten Lauf) — dies ist gewiss das festgesetzte Mittel, jene Sünde zu tilgen.

Word by Word

• त्रिवार्षिकम्: for three years
• त्रिवार्षिकम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि + वार्षिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समासः (त्रि-वर्ष-परिमाण), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; व्रतम् इति विशेषण

• व्रतम्: vow/observance
• व्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• कुर्यात्: should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• प्रतिलोमाम्: upstream/against the current
• प्रतिलोमाम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिलोमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सरस्वतीम् इति विशेषण; ‘against the current/upstream’

• सरस्वतीम्: (the river) Sarasvatī
• सरस्वतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Discourse particle (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive: or)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Discourse particle (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ (also/even)

• विशुद्ध्यर्थम्: for purification
• विशुद्ध्यर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशुद्धि + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (षष्ठी: विशुद्धेः अर्थः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; प्रयोजनवाचक (purpose)

• तत्पापस्य: of that sin
• तत्पापस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (षष्ठी: तस्य पापम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Quotative marker (इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, इत्यादि-उद्धरण/समाप्तिसूचक (quotative)

• निश्चितम्: is determined/settled
• निश्चितम्: Kriya-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-√चि (धातु) → निश्चित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; वाक्ये विधेय (predicate adjective): ‘it is decided’

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic voice within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarasvatī (Pratilomā) at Prabhāsa

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Not specified in the provided excerpt

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A penitent pilgrim stands at the sandy riverbank where Sarasvatī is envisioned as a luminous, subtle stream; priests indicate the upstream ‘pratilomā’ course; offerings and a vow-knot are shown, with Somnātha’s coastal sacred landscape in the distance.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī (river)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is achieved through sustained vow-practice and/or pilgrimage to a sanctifying river-tīrtha, integrating discipline and sacred geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Sarasvatī tīrtha (Sarasvatī river, described as pratilomā) is presented as a means of purification within the Prabhāsa sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A trivārṣika (three-year) vrata, or pilgrimage to the Sarasvatī for viśuddhi (purification).