Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

श्रीमान्विद्वान्कुलीनोऽसौ स एव पुरुषोत्तमः । सर्वतीर्थाभिषेकश्च नित्यं तस्य प्रजायते

Transliteration

śrīmānvidvānkulīno'sau sa eva puruṣottamaḥ | sarvatīrthābhiṣekaśca nityaṃ tasya prajāyate

Translation

Un tel homme devient prospère, savant et de noble conduite—vraiment, il est le meilleur des hommes. Pour lui, chaque jour naît le mérite comme s’il avait reçu l’onction en se baignant dans tous les tīrthas sacrés.

Word by Word

• श्रीमान्: prosperous, illustrious
• श्रीमान्: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (असौ)

• विद्वान्: learned
• विद्वान्: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• कुलीनः: of noble lineage
• कुलीनः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुलीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• असौ: that person, he
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• पुरुषोत्तमः: the best man
• पुरुषोत्तमः: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (श्रेष्ठः पुरुषः)

• सर्व: all
• सर्व: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग; ‘सर्व’ = all (in compound)

• तीर्थ: pilgrimage place
• तीर्थ: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग; ‘तीर्थ’ = sacred ford/pilgrimage place (in compound)

• अभिषेकः: consecratory bath, anointment
• अभिषेकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभि + सिच् (धातु) + घञ् (प्रत्यय) → अभिषेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियानाम (act noun) from धातु सिच् (to sprinkle) with उपसर्ग अभि

• सर्वतीर्थाभिषेकः: bath/anointment from all sacred places (i.e., merit of all pilgrimages)
• सर्वतीर्थाभिषेकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + तीर्थ + अभिषेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अभिषेकः सर्वेषां तीर्थानाम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (adverbial accusative)

• तस्य: of him, for him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• प्रजायते: arises, is produced
• प्रजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Narrator of the Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa (contextual Purāṇic narrator addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (teaching about sarva-tīrtha merit)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpottama (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A noble person (kulīna, vidvān, śrīmān) stands at dawn with a subtle aura; around him appear faint, circular visions of famous tīrthas as if he is being anointed by their waters—symbolic ‘sarva-tīrtha-abhiṣeka’.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity of conduct can yield the same spiritual fruit as extensive pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse universalizes merit to ‘all tīrthas’; it occurs within the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra Māhātmya in Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references tīrtha-abhiṣeka (sacred bathing) as a merit that accrues daily to the virtuous.