Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

बहुना किमिहोक्तेन स्तानमात्रं समाचरेत्

Transliteration

bahunā kimihoktena stānamātraṃ samācaret

Translation

À quoi bon tant de paroles ici ? Qu’on accomplisse simplement le bain sacré ; cela seul suffit.

Word by Word

• बहुना: by much (talk)
• बहुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण-प्रयोगे (instrumental: 'by much/with much speaking')

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक सर्वनाम

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• उक्तेन: by what is said / by speech
• उक्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उक्त (कृदन्त; वच् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; भूतकृत्-प्रत्यय (past passive participle) 'said/spoken'

• स्तानमात्रम्: only bathing
• स्तानमात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तान (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्तानस्य मात्रम् = only bathing)

• समाचरेत्: should perform/practise
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आ+चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Deductive: likely Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa), concluding a praise with a practical injunction

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomatī-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator-sage gestures in concise instruction while pilgrims step into the water; minimalistic composition emphasizing the single act of immersion.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic teaching often stresses accessible practice: sincere snāna at a holy place is presented as a complete, effective act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha under discussion in Arbuda Khaṇḍa (implied by context) is being emphasized as efficacious through snāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snāna (ritual bath) properly—presented as the key observance.