Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन प्राप्य तत्क्षेत्रमुत्तमम् । दृश्यो देवश्चतुर्बाहुः स्नात्वा तीर्थे तु भल्लके

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena prāpya tatkṣetramuttamam | dṛśyo devaścaturbāhuḥ snātvā tīrthe tu bhallake

Translation

Darum soll man mit aller Anstrengung jenes erhabene heilige Gebiet erreichen. Nach dem Bad im Bhalla-tīrtha wird der vierarmige Herr würdig, in glückverheißender Schau (Darśana) erblickt zu werden.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘therefore/from that’

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Means/Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय समास (सर्वः प्रयत्नः); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular; manner)

• प्राप्य: having reached/obtained
• प्राप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) + य (ल्यप् कृत्)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• तत्क्षेत्रम्: that sacred place/field
• तत्क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• उत्तमम्: excellent/supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular; qualifying क्षेत्रम्)

• दृश्यः: is visible/can be seen
• दृश्यः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + य (यत् कृत्)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘दृश्य’ (fit to be seen/visible); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देवः: the god (Lord)
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• चतुर्बाहुः: four-armed
• चतुर्बाहुः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि समास (चत्वारः बाहवो यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (qualifying देवः)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + त्वा (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• तीर्थे: in the sacred ford
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (particle ‘but/indeed’)

• भल्लके: at Bhallaka (place)
• भल्लके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भल्लक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular; place-name/epithet)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhalla-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A determined pilgrim party arrives at the excellent kṣetra; they bathe at Bhalla-tīrtha; afterward, a radiant four-armed Viṣṇu appears for auspicious darśana, conch-disc-mace-lotus visible.

Characters & Entities

• Bhalla-tīrtha
• caturbāhu Viṣṇu
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Effortful pilgrimage and tīrtha-bathing culminate in darśana—direct spiritual encounter with the Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bhalla-tīrtha (Bhallaka) within Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at Bhalla-tīrtha, paired with the intentional yātrā to the kṣetra.