Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

जाह्नव्यादिषु तीर्थेषु सुस्नात्वैकः समाहितः । एकः पश्यति देवेशं कृष्णं तुल्यफलौ हि तौ

Transliteration

jāhnavyādiṣu tīrtheṣu susnātvaikaḥ samāhitaḥ | ekaḥ paśyati deveśaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ tulyaphalau hi tau

Translation

One person, composed in mind, bathes well in sacred fords beginning with the Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā); another beholds Kṛṣṇa, Lord of the gods—indeed, the fruit of both is equal.

Word by Word

• जाह्नवी: the Jahnavi (Ganga)
• जाह्नवी: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाह्नवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (compound member)

• आदि: and others
• आदि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘etc.’-सूचक

• षु: in (plural locative ending)
• षु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सु (अव्यय/प्रत्ययात्मक)
• Form: सप्तमी-बहुवचन-प्रत्यय (विभक्ति-चिह्न) — पदविश्लेषणे ‘आदि-षु’ इति

• तीर्थेषु: in holy places
• तीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी बहुवचन

• सुस्नात्वा: having bathed well
• सुस्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सु-√स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्यय; उपसर्ग ‘सु’

• एकः: one person
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• समाहितः: composed, concentrated
• समाहितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-धा (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘collected, composed’

• एकः: one (person)
• एकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• देवेशम्: Lord of the gods
• देवेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन

• कृष्णम्: Krishna
• कृष्णम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन

• तुल्यफलौ: equal in fruit
• तुल्यफलौ: Pradhana-predicative (Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa/विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुल्य-फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा द्विवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा द्विवचन

Speaker

Prahlāda (continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (Kṛṣṇa-darśana) and Jāhnavī-tīrtha (Gaṅgā) as benchmark

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / brāhmaṇas (assembly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A juxtaposed tableau: on one side a lone pilgrim bathing reverently at a luminous river-ford (Gaṅgā), on the other a devotee beholding Kṛṣṇa as Devēśa in Dvārakā; both surrounded by an aura of equal merit.

Characters & Entities

• Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)
• Kṛṣṇa (Deveśa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage bathing is exalted, yet the Purāṇa asserts that beholding the Lord in his sacred abode yields an equal spiritual reward.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is central (as the setting for Kṛṣṇa-darśana), while Jāhnavī/Gaṅgā tīrthas are referenced as renowned comparatives.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-snāna (proper bathing) at holy places like the Gaṅgā is mentioned; the verse equates its fruit with Kṛṣṇa’s darśana.