Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

त्वयोद्वाह्या यद्य वश्यमहमेवं महाबल । अस्नातां नोद्वह विभो स्नानं कर्त्तुं च देहि मे

Transliteration

tvayodvāhyā yadya vaśyamahamevaṃ mahābala | asnātāṃ nodvaha vibho snānaṃ karttuṃ ca dehi me

Translation

“If I must indeed be married by you, O mighty one, then do not marry me while I am unbathed, O powerful lord. Grant me leave to perform my bath.”

Word by Word

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण) (agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (युष्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ-निर्देश

• udvāhyā: to be married
• udvāhyā: Pradhāna-predicative (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ud-vah (वह् धातु) → udvāhya (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (gerundive/तव्यत्-प्रत्ययार्थ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘to be married (by you)’

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conditional particle): ‘if’

• vaśyam: submissive
• vaśyam: Predicative complement (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaśya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण: ‘obedient/subject’

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘thus’

• mahābala: O mighty one
• mahābala: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; ‘O great-strong one’

• asnātām: (me) unbathed
• asnātām: Karma (Object/कर्म) (referring to speaker)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- + snāta (कृदन्त from स्ना धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (past participle/क्त) with negation; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘not bathed’

• na: do not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• udvaha: marry; carry off
• udvaha: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-vah (वह् धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vibho: O lord
• vibho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• snānam: bathing
• snānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kartum: to do
• kartum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive): ‘to do’

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction): ‘and’

• dehi: give
• dehi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (दा धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• me: to me
• me: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन

Speaker

Sarasvatī (Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A maiden respectfully addresses a mighty lord (personified mountain/guardian), requesting permission to bathe before the wedding; the setting hints at a sacred coastal/kshetra ambience.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī (Devī)
• Personified Mountain (addressed as mahābala/vibhu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even amid crisis, dharma emphasizes śauca (purity); ritual bathing is upheld as a prerequisite for sacred acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya, the request for snāna echoes the tīrtha-culture of sacred bathing associated with holy places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) is explicitly requested as necessary before the marriage rite.