Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

भवाब्धौ पतितांस्तात उद्धरस्व भवार्णवात् । तीर्थयात्राविधानं च कथयस्व महामते

Transliteration

bhavābdhau patitāṃstāta uddharasva bhavārṇavāt | tīrthayātrāvidhānaṃ ca kathayasva mahāmate

Translation

“O dear one, lift up those who have fallen into the ocean of worldly becoming; rescue them from the sea of saṃsāra. And, O great-minded one, please explain the proper procedure for pilgrimage to the sacred tīrthas.”

Word by Word

• भवाब्धौ: in the ocean of worldly existence
• भवाब्धौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव + अब्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• पतितान्: fallen (ones)
• पतितान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पत् (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle, active sense), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; ‘अस्मान्’ (understood) इति विशेषण

• तात: O dear one / O fatherly one
• तात: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• उद्धरस्व: lift up / rescue
• उद्धरस्व: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-हृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• भवार्णवात्: from the ocean of worldly existence
• भवार्णवात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• तीर्थयात्राविधानम्: the procedure for pilgrimage
• तीर्थयात्राविधानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थयात्रा + विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• कथयस्व: tell (please)
• कथयस्व: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• महामते: O great-minded one
• महामते: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (a petitioner addressing Prahlāda; next verse begins “Prahlāda uvāca”)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā tīrtha-samūha (Gomatī/Cakratīrtha implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahāmati (the wise instructor; immediately followed by Prahlāda’s response)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A supplicant addresses a revered sage/devotee-teacher, pleading for rescue from saṃsāra and requesting the detailed rules of tīrtha pilgrimage.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is framed as compassionate dharma: learning the right tīrtha-rites helps beings cross the ocean of saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse introduces the tīrthayātrā context; the following verses specify the Gomatī tīra associated with Dvārakā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request is made to teach the ‘tīrthayātrā-vidhāna’ (the formal method of pilgrimage).