Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा मनोरम तीर्थं सरस्वत्यब्धिसंगमे । चकार हृदि संकल्पं प्रति लोमावगाहने

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā manorama tīrthaṃ sarasvatyabdhisaṃgame | cakāra hṛdi saṃkalpaṃ prati lomāvagāhane

Translation

Als er den lieblichen Tīrtha am Zusammenfluss der Sarasvatī mit dem Ozean erblickte, fasste er im Herzen den feierlichen Entschluss, das Pratiloma-Untertauchen zu vollziehen.

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वक्रिया

• मनोरमम्: charming
• मनोरमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनोरम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (तीर्थम्)

• तीर्थम्: pilgrimage-ford/sacred place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सरस्वती-अब्धि-संगमे: at the confluence of Sarasvatī and the ocean
• सरस्वती-अब्धि-संगमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती + अब्धि + संगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (संगम), सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण (स्थान)

• चकार: made
• चकार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• हृदि: in (his) heart
• हृदि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संकल्पम्: a resolve
• संकल्पम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संकल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रति: against/contrary to
• प्रति: Sambandha (Prepositional/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपसर्ग/पूर्वसर्ग; here as preposition ‘against/contrary to’)

• लोम-अवगाहने: in (the act of) bathing against the hair (i.e., upstream/against the current)
• लोम-अवगाहने: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोमन् + अवगाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (अवगाहन), सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विषय/अधिकरण (regarding bathing)

Speaker

Narrator (Unspecified Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarasvatī–Abdhi Saṅgama (Prabhāsa)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn, the pilgrim stands at the meeting of a river’s current and the ocean’s waves, hands joined, eyes fixed on the waters, forming a solemn vow before entering for pratiloma immersion.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Ocean (Abdhi/Samudra)
• Saṅgama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-darśana should culminate in saṅkalpa—an inward vow that aligns the pilgrim’s mind with the rite and its purifying intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Sarasvatī–ocean confluence (sarasvaty-abdhi-saṅgama) within Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pratiloma-avagāhana: a specified reverse-direction immersion/bath undertaken with saṅkalpa.