Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच । राकासोमव्यतीपात समकाले नृपोत्तम । स स्नातो यत्र भूपालस्तन्महच्छ्रेयसे परम्

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca | rākāsomavyatīpāta samakāle nṛpottama | sa snāto yatra bhūpālastanmahacchreyase param

Translation

Dijo Pulastya: Oh excelso entre los reyes, en el tiempo propicio en que coinciden Rākā (la luna llena), la Luna y el Vyatīpāta, cuando aquel soberano se bañó en ese lugar, ese baño se volvió el medio supremo para el gran bienestar.

Word by Word

• पुलस्त्यः: Pulastya
• पुलस्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• राका: Rākā (full-moon night)
• राका: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/सम्बोधन-एकवचन (contextual; here as member of compound)

• सोम: Soma (moon)
• सोम: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (compound member)

• व्यतीपात: Vyatīpāta (astronomical conjunction)
• व्यतीपात: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यतीपात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/सम्बोधन-एकवचन (as addressed)

• समकाले: at the same time
• समकाले: Adhikarana (Location/Time अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th case/Locative), एकवचन; ‘समः कालः’ इति कर्मधारय

• नृपोत्तम: O best of kings
• नृपोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; ‘नृपाणाम् उत्तमः’

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्नातः: having bathed
• स्नातः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त; past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक/स्थानवाचक (relative adverb)

• भूपालः: the king
• भूपालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘भूः पालयति’ इति (राजा)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma/Pratipādya (Object/प्रत्यय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• श्रेयसे: for welfare/merit
• श्रेयसे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th case/Dative), एकवचन

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kulasaṃtāraṇa

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yayāti

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pulastya explains the calendrical secret: under a full-moon sky, the king bathes at the ghāṭa; moonlight floods the water, and subtle cosmic symbols indicate Vyatīpāta’s rare alignment.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Vyatīpāta
• Rākā (Pūrṇimā)
• Soma
• bhūpāla (king)
• snāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma emphasizes both sacred place and sacred time: tīrtha plus auspicious kāla amplifies spiritual welfare (śreyas).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The bathing-place associated with the Kulasaṃtāraṇa-tīrtha narrative in Arbuda Khaṇḍa (exact micro-toponym not stated in this verse).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing), specifically performed at an auspicious concurrence involving Rākā (full moon) and Vyatīpāta.