Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

ब्रह्माण्डं सकलं दत्त्वा यत्पुण्यफलमाप्नुयात् । तत्पुण्यं प्राप्नुयाद्देवि कार्तिक्यां जाह्नवीजले

Transliteration

brahmāṇḍaṃ sakalaṃ dattvā yatpuṇyaphalamāpnuyāt | tatpuṇyaṃ prāpnuyāddevi kārtikyāṃ jāhnavījale

Translation

O Devī, the very merit whose fruit one would gain by gifting the entire universe—one attains that same merit by bathing and performing rites in the waters of Jāhnavī in the month of Kārtika.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्माण्डम्: the universe (cosmic egg)
• ब्रह्माण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्माण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सकलम्: entire
• सकलम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययभाव (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• पुण्यफलम्: merit-fruit, reward of merit
• पुण्यफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पुण्यस्य फलम्)

• आप्नुयात्: would obtain
• आप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देशक (demonstrative)

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्राप्नुयात्: would attain
• प्राप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• कार्तिक्याम्: in Kārtikī (Kārtika time)
• कार्तिक्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालवाचक (in the month/season of Kārtikī)

• जाह्नवीजले: in the waters of the Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)
• जाह्नवीजले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाह्नवी (प्रातिपदिक) + जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जाह्नव्याः जलम्)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jāhnavī-tīrtha (Gaṅgā presence) in Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Prabhāsa, pilgrims descend stone steps to a sanctified Gaṅgā-presence called Jāhnavī; Kārtika dawn light, lamps, and offerings; a devotee performs snāna with folded hands, while priests recite and distribute tīrtha-water.

Characters & Entities

• Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)
• Kārtika (month)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time (Kārtika) and place (Gaṅgā/Jāhnavī tīrtha) magnify merit, sometimes equated with the highest conceivable charity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā) waters within Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance connected with Kārtika in Jāhnavī waters—contextually, tīrtha-snān and allied rites.