Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

प्राचीं सरस्वतीं प्राप्य याति तीर्थं हिमालयम् । स करस्थं समुत्सृज्य कूर्परेण समालिहेत्

Transliteration

prācīṃ sarasvatīṃ prāpya yāti tīrthaṃ himālayam | sa karasthaṃ samutsṛjya kūrpareṇa samālihet

Translation

ಪೂರ್ವಮುಖವಾಗಿ ಹರಿಯುವ ಸರಸ್ವತಿಯನ್ನು ತಲುಪಿ ಅದು ಹಿಮಾಲಯ ತೀರ್ಥಕ್ಕೆ ಸಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಕೈಯಲ್ಲಿರುವುದನ್ನು ಬಿಡಿಸಿ, ನಂತರ ಮೊಣಕೈಯಿಂದ ತೊಳೆದು/ಒರೆಸಬೇಕು.

Word by Word

• प्राचीम्: eastern (direction)
• प्राचीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (feminine, accusative singular; adjective)

• सरस्वतीम्: Sarasvatī (river/goddess)
• सरस्वतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (feminine, accusative singular)

• प्राप्य: having reached
• प्राप्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्तम् (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (having reached)

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (present indicative, 3rd sg)

• तीर्थम्: pilgrimage-place; ford
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, accusative singular)

• हिमालयम्: Himālaya
• हिमालयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमालय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, accusative singular); समासः: हिम + आलय (षष्ठी/तत्पुरुषः—'abode of snow')

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

• करस्थम्: held in the hand
• करस्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः: कर + स्थ (तत्पुरुषः—'situated in the hand'); विशेषणम् (neuter acc. sg)

• समुत्सृज्य: having released/abandoned
• समुत्सृज्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उत्-सृज् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्तम् (gerund); पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (having cast off/let go)

• कूर्परेण: with the elbow
• कूर्परेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine, instrumental singular)

• समालिहेत्: should lick/smear
• समालिहेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-लिह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (should lick/smear, 3rd sg optative)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prācī Sarasvatī; 'Himālaya' tīrtha (local toponym within Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim walks from the Prācī Sarasvatī bank toward another named tīrtha; he carefully releases something held in his hand into the water/ground and then wipes with his elbow, following a prescribed etiquette.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Himālaya
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas are presented as an interconnected sacred landscape, alongside practical rules of ritual comportment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse references the Sarasvatī and a Himalayan tīrtha, within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya’s sacred-geography frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A specific instruction on releasing what is held in the hand and wiping with the elbow, indicating a rule of ritual cleanliness/etiquette.