Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा द्विजश्रेष्ठो गोमतीतीरमाश्रितः । उपस्पृश्य यथान्यायं शास्त्रदृष्टेन कर्मणा

Transliteration

evamuktvā dvijaśreṣṭho gomatītīramāśritaḥ | upaspṛśya yathānyāyaṃ śāstradṛṣṭena karmaṇā

Translation

Ayant ainsi parlé, le meilleur des deux-fois-nés se rendit sur la rive de la Gomati et, selon la règle convenable, accomplit l’acte purificatoire prescrit (ācamana et autres), tel que l’enseignent les śāstra.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb ‘thus’)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Purvakala-Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive) ‘having said’

• द्विजश्रेष्ठः: the best of the twice-born (Brahmin)
• द्विजश्रेष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्विजानां श्रेष्ठः)

• गोमतीतीरम्: the bank of the Gomati
• गोमतीतीरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमती + तीर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; Accusative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गोमत्याः तीरम्)

• आश्रितः: having taken refuge at / having approached
• आश्रितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + श्रि (धातु) → आश्रित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; PPP used predicatively ‘having resorted to’

• उपस्पृश्य: having sipped/touched (water)
• उपस्पृश्य: Purvakala-Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + स्पृश् (धातु) → उपस्पृश्य (ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (ल्यप्/gerund) ‘having touched (water), having performed ācamana’

• यथा: according as
• यथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमान (as)

• न्यायम्: rule, proper procedure
• न्यायम्: Kriya-Visheshana (Adverbial accusative/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular used adverbially (according to rule)

• शास्त्रदृष्टेन: as prescribed/seen in scripture
• शास्त्रदृष्टेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शास्त्र + दृष्ट (कृदन्त; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular; विशेषण (of कर्मणा); तत्पुरुष (शास्त्रेण दृष्ट)

• कर्मणा: by the act/rite
• कर्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Dvārakā-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomatī-tīra (Dvārakā)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa) in the narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A venerable brāhmaṇa walks to the Gomatī bank, pauses, sips water for ācamanam, and prepares for ritual bathing; the river glints with morning light and pilgrims stand quietly.

Characters & Entities

• Gomatī (river)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred acts at a tīrtha should be performed with śāstric discipline—purity and right procedure prepare one for fruitful worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The bank of the Gomati river at Dvārakā, a key sacred landscape in the Dvārakā-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upaspṛśya—ritual purification such as ācamana/sipping of water—done ‘according to rule’ as taught in the śāstras.