Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

अनेन विधिना तत्र सम्यक्स्नानं समाचरेत् । स्पर्शयेद्वाडवं तेजश्चान्यथा दोषभाग्भवेत्

Transliteration

anena vidhinā tatra samyaksnānaṃ samācaret | sparśayedvāḍavaṃ tejaścānyathā doṣabhāgbhavet

Translation

Nach dieser Vorschrift soll man dort das heilige Bad richtig vollziehen. Man soll (rituell) die Kraft des Vāḍava‑Feuers berühren; andernfalls fällt man in Schuld.

Word by Word

• अनेन: by this
• अनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), एकवचनम्; ‘अनेन’ = by this

• विधिना: by the method/rite
• विधिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), एकवचनम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक/locative adverb)

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• समाचरेत्: should perform/practise
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्

• स्पर्शयेत्: should touch
• स्पर्शयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; causative sense in usage: ‘स्पर्शयेत्’ = स्पर्शं कारयेत्/स्पृशेत्

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्प/alternative particle)

• आडवम्: the Vāḍava (submarine)
• आडवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आडव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचनम्; ‘आडव’ = वाडवसम्बन्धि (submarine/horse-faced fire)

• तेजः: fire, radiance
• तेजः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक/conjunction)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकारवाचक/adverb): ‘विपरीतम्’

• दोषभाग्: a sharer in fault; blameworthy
• दोषभाग्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक) + भागिन्/भाग् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; समासः: दोषस्य भागी = दोषभाग् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Vāḍava-tejas sambandha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn on the Prabhāsa shore, a pilgrim completes the bath while a priest indicates a sanctified point representing Vāḍava-fire; the pilgrim touches water/ground with reverence, with subtle fiery glow suggested beneath waves.

Characters & Entities

• Vāḍava-fire (Vāḍavāgni)
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra (ritual setting)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred rites demand precision; the māhātmya frames correct observance as part of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, with its distinctive association to the Vāḍava (submarine) fire motif.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Follow the stated bathing procedure and perform the required ‘touching’ act connected with Vāḍava-tejas; neglect brings doṣa.