Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

अवश्यं क्रिय माणेषु स्वधर्म उपजायते । दृष्ट्वा नदीं सागरगां स्नात्वा पापैः प्रमुच्यते

Transliteration

avaśyaṃ kriya māṇeṣu svadharma upajāyate | dṛṣṭvā nadīṃ sāgaragāṃ snātvā pāpaiḥ pramucyate

Translation

Lorsque les actes sacrés sont accomplis avec assurance, le dharma propre à chacun naît naturellement. Rien qu’en contemplant le fleuve qui rejoint l’océan et en s’y baignant, on est délivré des péchés.

Word by Word

• avaśyam: certainly
• avaśyam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: avaśya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (certainly/necessarily)

• kriyamāṇeṣu: when (they) are being performed
• kriyamāṇeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Condition/सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kriyamāṇa (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्), सप्तमी (Locative), बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे 'when (acts) are being done'

• svadharmaḥ: one's own dharma
• svadharmaḥ: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva + dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य धर्मः)

• upajāyate: arises
• upajāyate: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-jan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; √जन् with उपसर्ग upa- (arises)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive); √दृश् (having seen)

• nadīm: the river
• nadīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nadī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• sāgaragām: flowing to the ocean
• sāgaragām: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sāgara + gam (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सागरं गच्छति इति) विशेषण (of nadīm)

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive); √स्ना (having bathed)

• pāpaiḥ: from sins
• pāpaiḥ: Apādāna (Separation/source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन; हेतौ/अपादानार्थे प्रयोग (from sins)

• pramucyate: is released, is freed
• pramucyate: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-muc (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग (is freed)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sāgara-gāminī nadī at Vastrāpatha (unnamed)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred river glides toward the sea; pilgrims stand on the bank with folded hands, then enter the water for snāna; the ocean horizon glimmers, suggesting Prabhāsa’s coastal sanctity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma becomes steady through intentional practice, and tīrtha-darśana and snāna are praised as powerful means of pāpa-kṣaya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The river-tīrtha associated with Vastrāpathakṣetra in the Prabhāsa region, described as flowing to the ocean.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (seeing) of the sacred river and snāna (bathing) in it for purification from sin.