Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

आगतोऽस्मि इदं तीर्थं पितृकार्ये सुरोत्तमाः । भवंतु साक्षिणः सर्वे मुक्तश्चाहमृणत्रयात्

Transliteration

āgato'smi idaṃ tīrthaṃ pitṛkārye surottamāḥ | bhavaṃtu sākṣiṇaḥ sarve muktaścāhamṛṇatrayāt

Translation

O Bester der Götter, ich bin zu diesem tīrtha gekommen, um die Ahnenhandlung zu vollziehen. Seid alle Zeugen, und möge ich vom dreifachen Schuldverhältnis (ṛṇa-traya) befreit werden.

Word by Word

• आगतः: come, arrived
• आगतः: Kriya (Predicative state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘अहम्’ इत्यस्य विधेय (I have come)

• अस्मि: am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Copula)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present); उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘तीर्थम्’)

• तीर्थम्: tīrtha
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पितृकार्ये: for the ancestral rite
• पितृकार्ये: Hetu/Prayojana (Purpose context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—पितॄणां कार्ये (in the rite/duty for ancestors)

• सुरोत्तमाः: O best of gods
• सुरोत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Vocative address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे अपि प्रयोगः (addressing: O best of gods)

• भवन्तु: let (them) be
• भवन्तु: Kriya (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative); प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• साक्षिणः: witnesses
• साक्षिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘साक्षिणः’)

• मुक्तः: freed, released
• मुक्तः: Kriya (Predicative state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘अहम्’ इत्यस्य विधेय (freed)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ऋणत्रयात्: from the three debts
• ऋणत्रयात्: Apadana (Ablative/source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋण (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—ऋणानां त्रयात् (from the three debts)

Speaker

Ritual performer (the śrāddha-doer speaking a declaration at the tīrtha)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Guptagayā (Goṣpada-tīrtha) in Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a sacred ford in Prabhāsa, hands joined, declaring his saṅkalpa for pitṛ-kārya while celestial beings stand as unseen witnesses; riverbank with ritual implements (kuśa, water-pot, piṇḍa-plate).

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Pitṛs
• Ṛṇa-traya (three debts)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is fulfilled by consciously discharging obligations—especially to ancestors—so that one becomes inwardly unburdened.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha addressed in this rite is Goṣpada Tīrtha in Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A spoken intention/declaration: coming for pitṛ-kārya, invoking gods as witnesses, and seeking release from ṛṇa-traya.