Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

अंगुष्ठपर्वमात्रांस्तान्वामनान्हरिमन्दिरे । गतान्गंगाजले स्नातुं वालखिल्यान्पुरो हरिः

Transliteration

aṃguṣṭhaparvamātrāṃstānvāmanānharimandire | gatāngaṃgājale snātuṃ vālakhilyānpuro hariḥ

Translation

Hari s’avança devant ces Vālakhilyas—sages minuscules, hauts comme une phalange de pouce—qui, partis du temple de Hari, allaient se baigner dans les eaux de la Gaṅgā.

Word by Word

• अङ्गुष्ठ: thumb
• अङ्गुष्ठ: Sambandha (Genitival/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (Masculine stem)

• पर्व: joint/segment
• पर्व: Sambandha (Genitival/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (Neuter stem)

• मात्रान्: measures (of size)
• मात्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Plural)

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

• वामनान्: dwarfs
• वामनान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

• हरि-मन्दिरे: in Hari’s temple
• हरि-मन्दिरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Genitive determinative: 'of Hari')

• गतान्: gone/arrived
• गतान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Past participle, Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

• गङ्गा-जले: in the water of the Gaṅgā
• गङ्गा-जले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ('water of Gaṅgā')

• स्नातुम्: to bathe
• स्नातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), क्रियार्थ (purpose)

• वालखिल्यान्: the Vālakhilya sages
• वालखिल्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वालखिल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

• पुरः: in front
• पुरः: Desha/Adhikarana (Spatial adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb)

• हरिः: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā-jala tīrtha at Vastrāpatha (from Hari-mandira)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A procession from Hari’s temple: thumb-joint-sized Vālakhilyas walk toward the Gaṅgā-water; Hari, radiant and protective, moves ahead on the path, turning back as if guiding them.

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Harimandira
• Vālakhilya Ṛṣis
• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord accompanies and leads even the smallest and humblest devotees; sacred bathing becomes a shared divine journey.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā-water snāna in the Mandara setting, connected with Hari’s temple (Harimandira), is foregrounded.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) in Gaṅgā water is explicitly mentioned.