Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

कृष्णपक्षे चतुर्दश्यां स्नानं बहुफलप्रदम् । श्रद्धया परया युक्तैः कर्त्तव्यं श्रद्धयाधिकम्

Transliteration

kṛṣṇapakṣe caturdaśyāṃ snānaṃ bahuphalapradam | śraddhayā parayā yuktaiḥ karttavyaṃ śraddhayādhikam

Translation

Au quatorzième jour lunaire de la quinzaine sombre, le bain sacré procure d’abondants fruits. Qu’il soit accompli par ceux qui possèdent la foi la plus haute—oui, avec une foi encore plus grande.

Word by Word

• कृष्णपक्षे: in the dark fortnight
• कृष्णपक्षे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कृष्णः पक्षः = dark fortnight); अधिकरण (time)

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth lunar day
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (time)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृस्थानी/विषय (topic/subject of statement)

• बहुफलप्रदम्: bestowing many fruits (benefits)
• बहुफलप्रदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of स्नानम्); समासः—तत्पुरुष (बहूनि फलानि प्रददाति = giving many results)

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (manner: with faith)

• परया: supreme; intense
• परया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of श्रद्धया)

• युक्तैः: by those who are endowed (with it)
• युक्तैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युक्त (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त from युज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; विशेषण/सहकर्ता (those endowed with faith)

• कर्त्तव्यम्: should be done
• कर्त्तव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त/gerundive)
• Form: कर्तव्य-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (भाव्य/gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (स्नानम् ... कर्त्तव्यम्)

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (with faith)

• अधिकम्: more; in greater measure
• अधिकम्: Visheshana (Degree/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत्/विशेषण (more, in greater measure; qualifying the manner/degree)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced for Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarayū-snānā (Ayodhyā)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Predawn river bathing on kṛṣṇa-caturdaśī: pilgrims step into Sarayū with folded hands, lamps flicker on the ghāṭa, and the sky is dark but serene.

Characters & Entities

• Ayodhyā
• Kṛṣṇapakṣa Caturdaśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time (tithi) amplifies sacred action (snāna), but faith is the decisive inner force that completes the rite.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Ayodhyā tīrtha/kuṇḍa context where bathing is praised as especially fruitful on Kṛṣṇapakṣa Caturdaśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snāna on the 14th tithi of the dark fortnight, undertaking the bath with heightened, supreme faith.