Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

स्नानमात्रेण वै लक्ष्म्यास्तीर्थेऽस्मि न्धर्मनंदन । रंभामप्सरसां श्रेष्ठां लब्धवानवधो नृपः

Transliteration

snānamātreṇa vai lakṣmyāstīrthe'smi ndharmanaṃdana | raṃbhāmapsarasāṃ śreṣṭhāṃ labdhavānavadho nṛpaḥ

Translation

Ô Dharmanandana, par un seul bain dans ce Lakṣmī-tīrtha, le roi d’Avadha obtint Rambhā, la plus éminente des apsaras ; telle est la gloire manifeste de ce gué sacré.

Word by Word

• स्नानमात्रेण: by mere bathing
• स्नानमात्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्नानस्य मात्रम्) → तृतीया एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• लक्ष्म्याः: of Lakṣmī
• लक्ष्म्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• तीर्थे: in the sacred ford (tīrtha)
• तीर्थे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• धर्मनन्दन: O son of Dharma
• धर्मनन्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य नन्दनः)

• रम्भाम्: Rambhā
• रम्भाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रम्भा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• अप्सरसाम्: of the apsarases
• अप्सरसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• श्रेष्ठाम्: the best
• श्रेष्ठाम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier) रम्भाम् इति

• लब्धवान्: having obtained / obtained
• लब्धवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु) + तवत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृतान्त—भूतकृत् (क्तवत्/क्तवतु), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; परस्मैपदी-भावार्थः ‘has obtained’

• अवधः: Avadha (a king)
• अवधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेष-नाम (proper name)

• नृपः: the king
• नृपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; अवधः इत्यस्य अप्पोजिशन (apposition)

Speaker

Narratorial voice within the Setukhaṇḍa (speaker not explicit in the snippet; presented as Purāṇic narration/teaching to a royal listener)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lakṣmī-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dharmanandana (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous coastal/ford setting: a sacred pool/river-mouth marked as Lakṣmī-tīrtha; King Avadha performs a single ceremonial bath; divine radiance rises from the waters; Rambhā, resplendent among apsarases, appears as the granted fruit; attendants and sages witness the marvel.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmī-tīrtha
• Dharma-nandana (Yudhiṣṭhira epithet)
• Rambhā
• Apsarases
• King Avadha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a simple act like bathing at a celebrated tīrtha can yield extraordinary fruit when performed with faith, showing the Purāṇic emphasis on tīrtha-māhātmya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Lakṣmī-tīrtha, praised for granting prosperity and exceptional boons through snāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at Lakṣmī-tīrtha, presented as efficacious even when done ‘only’ as a bath.