Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

तत्पुण्यं गोपीसर इदं जलैः पूर्णं सदैव हि । अवगाह्यं मया गोप्यो नभस्ये नियमेन हि

Transliteration

tatpuṇyaṃ gopīsara idaṃ jalaiḥ pūrṇaṃ sadaiva hi | avagāhyaṃ mayā gopyo nabhasye niyamena hi

Translation

This meritorious Gopī-lake is indeed ever filled with waters. O gopīs, you should bathe in it—especially in the month of Nabhas—according to observance and rule.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (demonstrative pronoun used adjectivally)

• पुण्यम्: merit; sacredness
• पुण्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गोपीसरः: the Gopīs’ lake/pond
• गोपीसरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपी + सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गोपीणां सरः)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (demonstrative)

• जलैः: with waters
• जलैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• पूर्णम्: filled; full
• पूर्णम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्ण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √पॄ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• एव: indeed; certainly
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Sambandha/Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये अव्यय (particle: for/indeed)

• अवगाह्यम्: to be bathed in; fit to be entered
• अवगाह्यम्: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (Predicative adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव + √गाह् (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: ‘to be bathed/entered’)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent of obligation/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन

• गोप्यः: O Gopīs
• गोप्यः: Sambodhyā/Addressed (Vocative sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोपी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• नभस्ये: in (the month of) Nabhasya
• नभस्ये: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (मास-नाम; ‘in the month of Nabhasya/Bhādrapada’)

• नियमेन: by rule; with observance
• नियमेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle)

Speaker

Śrī Govinda (Kṛṣṇa) (deduced from immediate narrative context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gopī-sara / Gopikā-sara

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Gopīs (explicit vocative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gopīs at a stepped tank at dawn in Nabhas month, performing regulated snāna with folded hands; lamps and lotuses float; the water appears inexhaustible.

Characters & Entities

• Gopīsara
• Nabhas (month)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-bathing performed with niyama (disciplined observance) intensifies merit and connects devotees to the sanctity of the site.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gopīsara, the sacred lake associated with the gopīs in the Dvārakā Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avagāha (ritual immersion/bathing) in Gopīsara, particularly during the month called Nabhas, following niyama (vrata-like discipline).