Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच । अग्नितीर्थं ततो गच्छेत्पावनं परमं नृणाम् । तत्र वह्निः पुरा नष्टो लब्धश्च त्रिदशैरपि

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca | agnitīrthaṃ tato gacchetpāvanaṃ paramaṃ nṛṇām | tatra vahniḥ purā naṣṭo labdhaśca tridaśairapi

Translation

Pulastya dit : Ensuite, qu’on se rende à Agni-tīrtha, le purificateur suprême des hommes. Là, jadis, le Feu (Vahni) fut perdu — et c’est là même qu’il fut retrouvé, fût-ce par les dieux.

Word by Word

• पुलस्त्यः: Pulastya
• पुलस्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अग्नितीर्थम्: Agni-tīrtha
• अग्नितीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—अग्नेः तीर्थम् (Agni’s ford/sacred bathing-place)

• ततः: then/from there
• ततः: Apadana/Adverbial (Source/sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/अनन्तरार्थक अव्यय (then/from there)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पावनम्: purifying
• पावनम्: Visheshana (Adjectival to कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival to कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• वह्निः: fire (Agni)
• वह्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb: formerly)

• नष्टः: vanished
• नष्टः: Kriya (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √नश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘lost/vanished’

• लब्धः: found
• लब्धः: Kriya (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘found/obtained’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• त्रिदशैः: by the gods
• त्रिदशैः: Kartr (Agent in passive sense/कर्ता-करणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक अव्यय (also/even)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Agni-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (King) Yayāti

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pulastya points the pilgrim onward to Agni-tīrtha; in the background a luminous fire-altar motif and a coastal/riverine ford; devas searching and then beholding Agni reappearing as a radiant flame.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Agni (Vahni)
• Tridaśa (Devas)
• Yayāti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Agni-tīrtha is proclaimed as a supreme purifier, and its sanctity is validated by a divine episode involving Agni himself.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Agni-tīrtha (the sacred ford associated with Agni/Vahni) within the Arbuda Khaṇḍa of Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A tīrtha-visit is prescribed: “one should go” to Agni-tīrtha; the implied practice is pilgrimage and purification.