Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 123

Devanagari script

प्रथमं चालभेत्तीर्थं प्रणवेन जलं शुचि । अवगाह्य ततः स्नायादध्यात्ममन्त्रयोगतः

Transliteration

prathamaṃ cālabhettīrthaṃ praṇavena jalaṃ śuci | avagāhya tataḥ snāyādadhyātmamantrayogataḥ

Translation

Zuerst soll man das Tīrtha mit dem Praṇava (Oṃ) und reinem Wasser ergreifen. Nachdem man eingetaucht ist, soll man gemäß der inneren (adhyātma) Zucht, verbunden mit dem Mantra, baden.

Word by Word

• प्रथमम्: first
• प्रथमम्: Manner/Sequence (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावार्थे/क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण द्वितीया-एकवचन-आकारः; “first(ly)”

• च: and
• च: Connector (Nipata)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात (and)

• आलभेत्: should take
• आलभेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; “should take/lay hold of”

• तीर्थम्: the tīrtha (water/place)
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (आलभेत्)

• प्रणवेन: with the praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणवेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण—“with the praṇava (Oṃ)”

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (गृह्यते/आलभेत् इत्यर्थे)

• शुचि: pure
• शुचि: Visheshana (Adjective of जलम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (जलम्) — “pure”

• अवगाह्य: having immersed
• अवगाह्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अव-√गाह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); “having immersed/bathed”

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sequence (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/अपादानार्थ (then/thereafter)

• स्नायात्: should bathe
• स्नायात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; “should bathe”

• अध्यात्ममन्त्रयोगतः: by the method of the inner (spiritual) mantra-yoga
• अध्यात्ममन्त्रयोगतः: Hetu (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अध्यात्म + मन्त्र + योग + तस् (प्रातिपदिक/तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) “-तः” = “by means of/according to”; पूर्वपदसमासः—अध्यात्ममन्त्रयोग (determinative)

Speaker

Śiva (in Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya context, speaking to Devī/Umā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa tīrtha (general snāna-vidhi)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn, a pilgrim cups pure water while softly uttering Oṃ, then steps into the tīrtha for full immersion; a faint mandala-like aura suggests adhyātma-yoga.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Prabhāsa
• Praṇava (Oṃ)
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External pilgrimage is to be paired with inner practice: mantra and adhyātma-bhāva complete the tīrtha bath.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrthas of Prabhāsa Kṣetra, approached through the Praṇava and ritual purity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Begin with Oṃ (Praṇava) and pure water, immerse, and perform snāna with an adhyātma-oriented mantra discipline.