Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । शृणु देवि प्रवक्ष्यामि यत्र संनिहिता शुभा । पापघ्नी सर्वजंतूनां दर्शनात्स्पर्शनादपि

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | śṛṇu devi pravakṣyāmi yatra saṃnihitā śubhā | pāpaghnī sarvajaṃtūnāṃ darśanātsparśanādapi

Translation

Īśvara said: “Listen, O Goddess, I shall explain where that auspicious Saṃnihitā is present—she destroys the sins of all creatures even by mere sight and touch.”

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord Śiva)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I will tell
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverb: 'where')

• संनिहिता: present, stationed
• संनिहिता: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सं + नि + धा (धातु) → संनिहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• शुभा: auspicious
• शुभा: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• पापघ्नी: destroyer of sin
• पापघ्नी: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप + घ्नि (प्रातिपदिक); पाप-घ्नि
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पापस्य घ्नी = destroyer of sin)

• सर्वजंतूनाम्: of all creatures
• सर्वजंतूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + जंतु (प्रातिपदिक); सर्व-जंतु
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); कर्मधारय (all beings)

• दर्शनात्: from (mere) seeing
• दर्शनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (cause)

• स्पर्शनात्: from touching
• स्पर्शनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (cause)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक (particle: 'also/even')

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Saṃnihitā

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva begins his reply: ‘Listen, Devī’—he points out the auspicious Saṃnihitā, describing her as sin-destroying for all beings even through sight and touch.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Saṃnihitā (river/tīrtha)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s sanctity is so potent that contact—seeing and touching—can purify, underscoring grace embedded in sacred places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Saṃnihitā tīrtha/river within Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana and sparśana (seeing and touching the tīrtha), implying pilgrimage contact as a purifying act.