Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

एतत्पंचविधं पुंसां पंचधाऽवस्थिता सती । नाशयेत्पातकं घोरं सखीभिः सहिता नदी

Transliteration

etatpaṃcavidhaṃ puṃsāṃ paṃcadhā'vasthitā satī | nāśayetpātakaṃ ghoraṃ sakhībhiḥ sahitā nadī

Translation

Diese fünffache Gruppe der Sünden der Menschen — sie, in fünf Gestalten bestehend — vernichtet die schreckliche Schuld; der Fluss, begleitet von ihren „Gefährtinnen“ (den fünf Strömen), tilgt das furchtbare Vergehen.

Word by Word

• एतत्-पञ्च-विधम्: this fivefold (set)
• एतत्-पञ्च-विधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पञ्च (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः (etat + pañca + vidha = of five kinds)

• पुंसाम्: of men
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस्/पुम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• पञ्चधा: in five ways
• पञ्चधा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पञ्चधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb; manner)

• अवस्थितā: situated/standing
• अवस्थितā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव-स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय) → अवस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक (past passive participle: 'having been situated/standing')

• सती: being
• सती: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस् (धातु) + शतृ (प्रत्यय) → सत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले (present participle: 'being')

• नाशयेत्: may destroy
• नाशयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नाशय् (धातु; णिजन्त causative of नश्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पातकम्: sin
• पातकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• घोरम्: terrible
• घोरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; पातकम्-विशेषण

• सखीभिः: with (her) companions (female friends)
• सखीभिः: Karana/Sahakari (Instrument/Associate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सहिता: accompanied
• सहिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सह (उपसर्ग) + इ (धातु) + क्त → सहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (accompanied)

• नदी: the river
• नदी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced for Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa Sarasvatī (fivefold manifestation with companion streams)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred river in Prabhāsa shown as a goddess with five luminous aspects, attended by five companion streams; pilgrims stand at confluences performing ācamana and snāna while sins dissolve as dark vapors.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī (Pañcasrotā)
• Pātaka (sin)
• Five streams (companions)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas embody divine grace: when approached with sincerity, sacred waters support prāyaścitta by dissolving even heavy moral defilements.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Sarasvatī’s Pañcasrotā at Prabhāsa Kṣetra, praised as a powerful purifier.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied tīrtha-sevā through contact with the river—especially bathing/immersion—since the Pañcasrotā is said to destroy sins.