Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

ये चात्र मलनाशाय विशेयुर्मानवा जलम् । गोप्रदानसमं तेषां सुखेन फलमादिशेत्

Transliteration

ye cātra malanāśāya viśeyurmānavā jalam | gopradānasamaṃ teṣāṃ sukhena phalamādiśet

Translation

Und wer hier ins Wasser steigt, um Unreinheit abzuwaschen—man soll verkünden, dass er mühelos eine Frucht erlangt, die der Gabe einer Kuh gleichkommt.

Word by Word

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन (masculine, nominative plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Avyaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• मलनाशाय: for the destruction of impurity
• मलनाशाय: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल + नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘मलस्य नाशः’); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; प्रयोजन/हेतु (masculine, dative singular)

• विशेयुः: should enter
• विशेयुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + शी (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (optative, 3rd person plural)

• मानवाः: people, humans
• मानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; कर्ता (masculine, nominative plural)

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; प्रवेशक्रियायाः कर्म (neuter, accusative singular)

• गोप्रदानसमम्: equal to the gift of a cow
• गोप्रदानसमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गो + प्रदान + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘गोप्रदानस्य समम्’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘फलम्’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम् (neuter, nominative/accusative singular)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive plural)

• सुखेन: easily, with ease
• सुखेन: Karana (Manner/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; प्रकार/उपाय (neuter, instrumental singular)

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; आदिश्-क्रियायाः कर्म (neuter, accusative singular)

• आदिशेत्: should declare/assign
• आदिशेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दिश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (optative, 3rd person singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-tīrtha (Prabhāsa-kṣetra waters)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience (ṛṣi/kingly interlocutor typical of māhātmya narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims step into sacred waters at Prabhāsa at dawn, hands joined, washing away dust and inner impurity; a priest nearby proclaims the merit as equal to gifting a cow.

Characters & Entities

• Go-dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred bathing performed with the intent of purification can bestow merits comparable to major gifts like go-dāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The waters of Prabhāsa-kṣetra are praised for their purificatory power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Entering/immersing in the tīrtha-water for mala-nāśa (removal of impurity).