Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

पदचारी शुचितनुर्भारं स्कन्धे निधाय च । तीर्थे स्नात्वा शिवं विष्णुं ब्रह्माणं शंकरं प्रियम्

Transliteration

padacārī śucitanurbhāraṃ skandhe nidhāya ca | tīrthe snātvā śivaṃ viṣṇuṃ brahmāṇaṃ śaṃkaraṃ priyam

Translation

Zu Fuß gehend, den Leib gereinigt, die Last auf die Schulter legend; nachdem man im Tīrtha gebadet hat, soll man Śiva, Viṣṇu und Brahmā verehren — den geliebten Śaṅkara.

Word by Word

• पदचारी: a pedestrian/one who goes on foot
• पदचारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद + चारिन् (चर्-धातु; णिनि-प्रत्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular); समासः—तत्पुरुष (padena cārī)

• शुचितनुः: pure-bodied
• शुचितनुः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि + तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular); समासः—कर्मधारय (śucir tanur yasya)

• भारम्: a load/burden
• भारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• स्कन्धे: on the shoulder
• स्कन्धे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन (singular)

• निधाय: having placed
• निधाय: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund)

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

• तीर्थे: at a sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन (singular)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• विष्णुम्: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• ब्रह्माणम्: Brahmā
• ब्रह्माणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• शंकरम्: Śaṅkara
• शंकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• प्रियम्: beloved/dear
• प्रियम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण (qualifier, likely of शंकरम्/शिवम्)

Speaker

Sārasvata (context continues from 12.1)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-tīrtha (snāna-sthala within the kṣetra)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/seekers (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A barefoot pilgrim, clean and composed, carries a shoulder-load of offerings, reaches the tīrtha, bathes, and then stands before a shrine honoring Śiva with Viṣṇu and Brahmā respectfully present.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Viṣṇu
• Brahmā
• Śaṅkara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is a disciplined practice: purity, effort (walking), and tīrtha-bathing culminate in reverent worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha context is Vastrāpathakṣetra as presented in this māhātmya of Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Go on foot with purity, carry the offerings, bathe at the tīrtha (snāna), and perform worship.