Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

स्नायात्प्रभातसमये मकरस्थे रवौ प्रिये । किञ्चिदभ्युदिते सूर्ये शृणु तस्य च यत्फलम्

Transliteration

snāyātprabhātasamaye makarasthe ravau priye | kiñcidabhyudite sūrye śṛṇu tasya ca yatphalam

Translation

Geliebte, man soll im Morgengrauen baden, wenn die Sonne im Makara (Steinbock) steht. Und wenn die Sonne erst ein wenig aufgegangen ist, höre die Frucht eines solchen Bades.

Word by Word

• स्नायात्: should bathe
• स्नायात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रभातसमये: at dawn-time
• प्रभातसमये: Adhikarana (Time-locative/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभात-समय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (प्रभातस्य समयः)

• मकरस्थे: when (the sun) is in Capricorn
• मकरस्थे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मकर-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (मकरे स्थितः)

• रवौ: in/when the Sun
• रवौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• प्रिये: O beloved
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• किञ्चित्: a little
• किञ्चित्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किञ्चित् (सर्वनाम/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: परिमाण/अल्पत्वबोधक अव्यय (adverb: a little)

• अभ्युदिते: when risen
• अभ्युदिते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-उद्-इ (धातु) → अभ्युदित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; सप्तमी-सम्बन्धे (when risen)

• सूर्ये: when the sun
• सूर्ये: Adhikarana (Time-locative/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• शृणु: hear
• शृणु: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Relative/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from vocative priye/varānane and Māhātmya teaching tone)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa snāna-tīrtha (Māgha, Makara-ravi)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ‘Priye/varānane’ addressed listener

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dawn at a sacred water-edge; the Sun just risen above the horizon, pilgrims stepping into water with folded hands; subtle zodiac/Capricorn motif near the solar disc; atmosphere of cool morning austerity.

Characters & Entities

• Ravi (Sun)
• Makara (Capricorn)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Timely, faith-filled tīrtha-bathing—especially at dawn—multiplies merit and opens the way to purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra and its tīrthas, within the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa’s Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (sacred bathing) at dawn, specifically when the Sun is in Makara (Capricorn) and just after sunrise.