Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

स्नानार्चनक्रियाकाले घंटावाद्यं करोति यः । पुरतो वासुदेवस्य गवां कोटिफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

snānārcanakriyākāle ghaṃṭāvādyaṃ karoti yaḥ | purato vāsudevasya gavāṃ koṭiphalaṃ labhet

Translation

Whoever rings a bell during the rites of bathing and worship (snāna-arcana) in the presence of Vāsudeva gains merit equivalent to gifting a crore of cows.

Word by Word

• स्नानार्चनक्रियाकाले: at the time of bathing and worship-ritual
• स्नानार्चनक्रियाकाले: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्नानस्य अर्चनस्य क्रियायाः कालः)

• घंटावाद्यम्: bell-ringing (bell-instrument sound)
• घंटावाद्यम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घंटा (प्रातिपदिक) + वाद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (घंटायाः वाद्यम्)

• करोति: does; performs
• करोति: क्रिया (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present/वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• पुरतः: in front (of)
• पुरतः: अधिकरण (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-निबद्ध)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गवत्/क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• वासुदेवस्य: of Vāsudeva
• वासुदेवस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• गवाम्: of cows
• गवाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• कोटिफलम्: the fruit equal to a crore (immense merit)
• कोटिफलम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कोट्याः फलम्)

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: क्रिया (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Deductive: narrative voice of the Dvārakā Māhātmya (commonly Sūta relating the māhātmya to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In front of Vāsudeva, during bathing and worship, a devotee rings a bell; the sound ripples through the pillared hall as lamps flicker and water streams over the deity in abhiṣeka.

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva
• Ghaṇṭā (bell)
• Snāna
• Arcana
• Go-dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Simple devotional acts performed attentively before Vāsudeva—like ringing the bell—are exalted as highly meritorious in temple dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, where Vāsudeva’s worship is central in this māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ring the bell (ghaṇṭā-vādya) during snāna and arcana (bathing and worship rites) in front of Vāsudeva.