Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

अत्र गाथा पुरा गीता नारदेन महात्म ना । स्नात्वा पुण्योदके तत्र दृष्ट्वा तं मुनिसत्तमम्

Transliteration

atra gāthā purā gītā nāradena mahātma nā | snātvā puṇyodake tatra dṛṣṭvā taṃ munisattamam

Translation

Ici même, jadis, Nārada au grand esprit chanta une gāthā sacrée. Après s’être baigné dans ces eaux de mérite et avoir vu ce plus éminent des sages, il la prononça.

Word by Word

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक) — indeclinable adverb of place

• गाथा: a verse/ballad
• गाथा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Feminine, nominative singular

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) — indeclinable adverb of time

• गीता: sung/recited
• गीता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Past participle, feminine nominative singular; agrees with गाथा

• नारदेन: by Nārada
• नारदेन: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Masculine, instrumental singular

• महात्मना: by the great-souled
• महात्मना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Masculine, instrumental singular; विशेषण (to नारदेन)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, अव्ययभाव), — Gerund/absolutive

• पुण्योदके: in the holy water
• पुण्योदके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Neuter, locative singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक) — indeclinable adverb of place

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, अव्ययभाव) — Gerund/absolutive

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Pronoun, masculine accusative singular

• मुनिसत्तमम्: the best of sages
• मुनिसत्तमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Masculine, accusative singular

Speaker

Sūta (deduced, Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Punyodaka (at Vasiṣṭhāśrama, Arbuda)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, after bathing in a luminous pool, approaches a venerable sage; with vīṇā in hand, he begins an ancient gāthā as attendants watch quietly.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Vasiṣṭha (implied by context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is completed by both tīrtha-snāna (holy bathing) and darśana of realized sages, which awakens devotion and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sacred waters and setting associated with Vasiṣṭha’s āśrama in the Arbuda region (Arbuda Khaṇḍa, Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna—bathing in the puṇya-udaka (holy waters) prior to approaching the sage.