Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच । राकासोमव्यतीपात समकाले नृपोत्तम । स स्नातो यत्र भूपालस्तन्महच्छ्रेयसे परम्

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca | rākāsomavyatīpāta samakāle nṛpottama | sa snāto yatra bhūpālastanmahacchreyase param

Translation

Pulastya said: O best of kings, at the auspicious concurrence of Rākā (the full moon), the Moon, and Vyatīpāta, when that ruler bathed at that very place, that bath became the supreme means to great welfare.

Word by Word

• पुलस्त्यः: Pulastya
• पुलस्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• राका: Rākā (full-moon night)
• राका: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/सम्बोधन-एकवचन (contextual; here as member of compound)

• सोम: Soma (moon)
• सोम: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (compound member)

• व्यतीपात: Vyatīpāta (astronomical conjunction)
• व्यतीपात: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यतीपात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/सम्बोधन-एकवचन (as addressed)

• समकाले: at the same time
• समकाले: Adhikarana (Location/Time अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th case/Locative), एकवचन; ‘समः कालः’ इति कर्मधारय

• नृपोत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; ‘नृपाणाम् उत्तमः’

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्नातः: having bathed
• स्नातः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त; past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक/स्थानवाचक (relative adverb)

• भूपालः: the king
• भूपालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘भूः पालयति’ इति (राजा)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma/Pratipādya (Object/प्रत्यय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• श्रेयसे: for welfare/merit
• श्रेयसे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th case/Dative), एकवचन

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kulasaṃtāraṇa

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yayāti

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pulastya explains the calendrical secret: under a full-moon sky, the king bathes at the ghāṭa; moonlight floods the water, and subtle cosmic symbols indicate Vyatīpāta’s rare alignment.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Vyatīpāta
• Rākā (Pūrṇimā)
• Soma
• bhūpāla (king)
• snāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma emphasizes both sacred place and sacred time: tīrtha plus auspicious kāla amplifies spiritual welfare (śreyas).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The bathing-place associated with the Kulasaṃtāraṇa-tīrtha narrative in Arbuda Khaṇḍa (exact micro-toponym not stated in this verse).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing), specifically performed at an auspicious concurrence involving Rākā (full moon) and Vyatīpāta.