Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

जलं दत्त्वा तु भूतेभ्यः पूजयित्वा जनार्द्दनम् । यावद्यांति नदीतीर ऋषयो भद्रकादयः । तावत्पश्यंति राजानं गजं वरगजोपमम्

Transliteration

jalaṃ dattvā tu bhūtebhyaḥ pūjayitvā janārddanam | yāvadyāṃti nadītīra ṛṣayo bhadrakādayaḥ | tāvatpaśyaṃti rājānaṃ gajaṃ varagajopamam

Translation

Nachdem sie den Wesen Wasser dargebracht und Janārdana verehrt hatten, erblickten die von Bhadra angeführten Rishis auf dem Weg zum Flussufer den König Gaja, strahlend wie ein edler Elefant.

Word by Word

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• तु: and then / indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयबोधक-अव्यय (particle)

• भूतेभ्यः: to living beings
• भूतेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), बहुवचन

• पूजयित्वा: having worshipped
• पूजयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• जनार्दनम्: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)
• जनार्दनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः: जनानाम् अर्दनः (Viṣṇu)

• यावत्: until, as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधिवाचक-अव्यय (correlative: as long as/until)

• यान्ति: they go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नदीतीरम्: to the riverbank
• नदीतीरम्: Gati-Karma (Goal/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः: नद्याः तीरम्

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• भद्रकादयः: Bhadraka and others
• भद्रकादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्रक + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; समासः: भद्रकः आदिः येषाम् (group headed by Bhadraka)

• तावत्: then, meanwhile
• तावत्: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधिवाचक-अव्यय (correlative: then/so long)

• पश्यन्ति: they see
• पश्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• गजम्: an elephant
• गजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• वरगजोपमम्: like a splendid elephant
• वरगजोपमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वरगज + उपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः: वरगजेन उपमः (comparable to a noble elephant)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra river-tīra (unnamed)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages led by Bhadra walk toward a shining riverbank after offering water and worshiping Janārdana; ahead stands King Gaja, majestic and radiant, likened to a noble elephant.

Characters & Entities

• Janārdana
• Bhadra (ṛṣi)
• Gaja
• Riverbank (nadītīra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is holistic: compassion to creatures and worship of the Divine accompany tirtha-going and sanctify the journey.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The riverbank near the sacred setting of Vastrāpathakṣetra is emphasized, alongside the purifying river tradition associated with Gaṅgā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering water to beings (jala-dāna) and worship of Janārdana (pūjā) before proceeding to the riverbank.