Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

तीर्थे सस्नुः पुरा देवा लक्ष्मीनामनि पुण्यदे । अलभन्त्सर्वमैश्वर्यं तेन पुण्येन धर्मज

Transliteration

tīrthe sasnuḥ purā devā lakṣmīnāmani puṇyade | alabhantsarvamaiśvaryaṃ tena puṇyena dharmaja

Translation

Autrefois, les dieux se baignèrent en ce tīrtha sacré nommé Lakṣmī, ô dispensateur de mérite ; et par ce même puṇya, ô fils de Dharma, ils obtinrent toute prospérité et toute souveraineté.

Word by Word

• tīrthe: in the sacred ford/place of pilgrimage
• tīrthe: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• sasnuḥ: bathed
• sasnuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• purā: formerly, in ancient times
• purā: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• devāḥ: the gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्तृ

• lakṣmī-nāmani: in (the place) named ‘Lakṣmī’
• lakṣmī-nāmani: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmī (प्रातिपदिक) + nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (nāman), सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (lakṣmyāḥ nāmani = ‘in the name of Lakṣmī’)

• puṇya-de: O giver of merit (O Dharmarja)
• puṇya-de: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + de (प्रातिपदिक, ‘giver’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारयार्थे तत्पुरुष (puṇyaṃ dadāti iti)

• alabhan: obtained
• alabhan: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; नकारार्थे अ-आगम (a- prefix)

• sarvam: all, entire
• sarvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (aiśvaryam)

• aiśvaryam: sovereignty, prosperity
• aiśvaryam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aiśvarya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म

• tena: by that, through that
• tena: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/हेतु

• puṇyena: by (that) merit
• puṇyena: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेतु/करण

• dharmaja: O son of Dharma (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• dharmaja: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक, ‘born’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (dharmasya jaḥ)

Speaker

Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lakṣmī-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍava (Dharmaja/Yudhiṣṭhira implied by 'धर्मज')

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas arriving at a luminous coastal/ford-like tīrtha named Lakṣmī; they immerse in clear waters while a subtle aura of Śrī (lotus, golden radiance) rises, signifying prosperity bestowed by the place.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Devas
• Lakṣmī-tīrtha
• Yudhiṣṭhira

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s greatness is validated by divine precedent—what the gods practiced is upheld as dharmic and effective.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Lakṣmī-tīrtha (the tīrtha named ‘Lakṣmī’).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at the tīrtha, supported by the example of the devas.