Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

अपि कीटपतंगा ये पक्षिणः पशवो मृगाः । तृषार्ता जलसंस्पर्शाद्यास्यंति परमां गतिम्

Transliteration

api kīṭapataṃgā ye pakṣiṇaḥ paśavo mṛgāḥ | tṛṣārtā jalasaṃsparśādyāsyaṃti paramāṃ gatim

Translation

Selbst Insekten und Motten, Vögel, Rinder und wilde Tiere — von Durst gequält — werden durch bloße Berührung dieses Wassers den höchsten Zustand erlangen.

Word by Word

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्भावना/समुच्चय ‘even/also’)

• कीटपतंगाः: insects and flying bugs
• कीटपतंगाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीट + पतंग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (insects and moths/flies)

• ये: who (those which)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सापेक्ष-सर्वनाम

• पक्षिणः: birds
• पक्षिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• पशवः: animals, beasts
• पशवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• मृगाः: deer (wild animals)
• मृगाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तृषार्ताः: tormented by thirst
• तृषार्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृषा + आर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (afflicted by thirst)

• जलसंस्पर्शात्: from contact with water
• जलसंस्पर्शात्: Apadana (Ablative source/cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + संस्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; अपादान (cause/source: from water-contact)

• यास्यन्ति: will go, will attain
• यास्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• परमाम्: supreme
• परमाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• गतिम्: state, destination
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म (goal)

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic narrative voice within the Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa tīrtha-jala

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A drought-weary scene: animals and birds gather at a sacred water-edge; insects hover; as they touch the water, a subtle radiance rises, suggesting purification and ascent; pilgrims watch with awe.

Characters & Entities

• Jala (tīrtha-water)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A supremely holy place radiates grace so widely that even accidental contact can uplift living beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The water of the Devikā-taṭa/Mūlasthāna tīrtha within Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it declares the extraordinary sanctity of the tīrtha-water itself.