Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

पूर्वं पन्नगराजस्तु तेन मार्गेण चागतः । स्नातुं दामोदरे तीर्थे यममृत्युप्रघातिनि

Transliteration

pūrvaṃ pannagarājastu tena mārgeṇa cāgataḥ | snātuṃ dāmodare tīrthe yamamṛtyupraghātini

Translation

Autrefois, le roi des serpents vint par ce même chemin afin de se baigner au tīrtha de Dāmodara — le lieu saint qui terrasse Yama et la Mort.

Word by Word

• पूर्वम्: formerly, at first
• पूर्वम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): ‘पूर्वम्’ = formerly/at first

• पन्नगराजः: the king of serpents
• पन्नगराजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पन्नगराज (प्रातिपदिक; पन्नग + राज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पन्नगानां राजा)

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle): emphasis/contrast ‘indeed/but’

• तेन: by that, by him/it
• तेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मार्गेण: by the path, via the route
• मार्गेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/coord. conjunction)

• आगतः: came, arrived
• आगतः: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) + गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकालिक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘आगतः’ = has come

• स्नातुम्: to bathe
• स्नातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive); प्रयोजन/उद्देश्य (purpose)

• दामोदरे: in/at Dāmodara (river/place)
• दामोदरे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दामोदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place of pilgrimage
• तीर्थे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• यममृत्युप्रघातिनि: in (the place) that destroys Yama and death
• यममृत्युप्रघातिनि: Adhikaraṇa (Location qualifier/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यम + मृत्यु + प्रघातिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः; विशेषणम् (तीर्थे)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dāmodara-tīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The nāgarāja (serpent king) approaches along a sacred path to a shining tīrtha pool/river reach named Dāmodara; he bathes as priests and pilgrims watch; above, a subtle icon of Yama retreats, symbolizing ‘mṛtyu-praghāta’.

Characters & Entities

• Dāmodara Tīrtha
• Nāga-rāja (king of serpents)
• Yama
• Mṛtyu
• Prabhāsa
• Vastrāpatha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even mighty beings seek tīrtha-snānā for freedom from fear and mortality; sacred bathing is a dharmic refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dāmodara Tīrtha within the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra of Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) at Dāmodara Tīrtha, praised as death-conquering in its spiritual effect.