Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

न दृश्यं स्वर्गसोपानं दृश्यते गोमतीसमम् । सुखदं पापिनां पुंसां स्नानमात्रेण मोक्षदम्

Transliteration

na dṛśyaṃ svargasopānaṃ dṛśyate gomatīsamam | sukhadaṃ pāpināṃ puṃsāṃ snānamātreṇa mokṣadam

Translation

ಗೋಮತಿಗೆ ಸಮಾನವಾದ ಸ್ವರ್ಗಸೋಪಾನ ಲೋಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಕಾಣುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಅವಳು ಪಾಪಿಗಳಿಗೂ ಸುಖವನ್ನು ನೀಡುವಳು; ಕೇವಲ ಸ್ನಾನಮಾತ್ರದಿಂದಲೇ ಮೋಕ್ಷವನ್ನು ದಯಪಾಲಿಸುವಳು।

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relational/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• दृश्यम्: visible (to be seen)
• दृश्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective: visible)

• स्वर्गसोपानम्: stairway to heaven
• स्वर्गसोपानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + सोपान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वर्गस्य सोपानम्)

• दृश्यते: is seen
• दृश्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद

• गोमतीसमम्: equal to / like the Gomati
• गोमतीसमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोमती (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; उपमान-तत्पुरुष (गोमत्याः समम् = like Gomati)

• सुखदम्: giving happiness
• सुखदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (सुखं ददाति इति)

• पापिनाम्: of sinners
• पापिनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पुंसाम्: of men
• पुंसाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुम्स्/पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• स्नानमात्रेण: by mere bathing
• स्नानमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थे (मात्रं स्नानम् / स्नानस्य मात्रया)

• मोक्षदम्: granting liberation
• मोक्षदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (मोक्षं ददाति इति)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual voice within Dvārakā Māhātmya praise)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomatī

Type: river-ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed generally to ‘pumsām’ and implicitly to the king/interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims descend the ghāṭa into Gomati; the water is depicted as luminous, with a symbolic stairway rising skyward; even a remorseful sinner is shown transformed—face softened, hands folded—suggesting mokṣa through snāna.

Characters & Entities

• Gomatī
• Svarga
• Mokṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A single act of tīrtha-snānā at the Gomati is portrayed as extraordinarily purifying—capable of granting both worldly well-being and final liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gomati tīrtha associated with Dvārakā, praised as uniquely salvific.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) alone is highlighted as sufficient to yield great spiritual merit, even mokṣa.