Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

गदातीर्थे तु देवेशं विष्णुं वाराहरूपिणम् । समभ्यर्च्य नरो भक्त्या विष्णुलोके महीयते

Transliteration

gadātīrthe tu deveśaṃ viṣṇuṃ vārāharūpiṇam | samabhyarcya naro bhaktyā viṣṇuloke mahīyate

Translation

At Gadā-tīrtha, having devoutly worshipped Lord Viṣṇu—the Lord of the gods—in his Varāha form, a person is honored and exalted in Viṣṇu’s world.

Word by Word

• गदातीर्थे: at Gadā-tīrtha
• गदातीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—गदायाः तीर्थे

• तु: indeed; moreover
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• देवेशम्: Lord of the gods
• देवेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—देवानाम् ईशः

• विष्णुम्: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• वाराहरूपिणम्: in the boar-form (Varāha)
• वाराहरूपिणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाराह (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—वाराहस्य रूपं यस्य (having the form of a boar)

• समभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• समभ्यर्च्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); उपसर्गौ—सम् + अभि; 'having duly worshipped'

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• विष्णुलोके: in Viṣṇu’s world
• विष्णुलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—विष्णोः लोके

• महीयते: is honored; attains greatness
• महीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग (is honored/glorified)

Speaker

Prahlāda (continued)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gadā-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ) / tīrtha-inquirers (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a coastal/lagoon-like tīrtha offers flowers and lamps to Varāha-Viṣṇu; the boar-faced deity stands radiant, suggesting rescue and stability amid oceanic surroundings.

Characters & Entities

• Gadā-tīrtha
• Viṣṇu
• Varāha
• Viṣṇuloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship at a sanctified tīrtha, focused on the deity’s form, is said to lead to exalted spiritual states.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gadā-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship Viṣṇu in Varāha form at Gadā-tīrtha with bhakti.