Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

यंयं कामं समुद्दिश्य लक्ष्मीतीर्थे द्विजोत्तमाः । स्नानं समाचरेन्मर्त्यस्तंतं कामं समश्नुते

Transliteration

yaṃyaṃ kāmaṃ samuddiśya lakṣmītīrthe dvijottamāḥ | snānaṃ samācarenmartyastaṃtaṃ kāmaṃ samaśnute

Translation

ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമന്മാരേ, ലക്ഷ്മീതീർത്ഥത്തിൽ മനുഷ്യൻ ഏത് ഏത് ആഗ്രഹം ലക്ഷ്യമാക്കി സ്നാനം ചെയ്യുമോ, ആ ആ ആഗ്രഹം അവൻ പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• यम्: which
• यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम

• यम्: whichever
• यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (yaṃ yaṃ = whichever)

• कामम्: desire
• कामम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समुद्दिश्य: intending/aiming at
• समुद्दिश्य: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + उद् + दिश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); धातुः दिश् (निर्देशे) उपसर्गाः सम्-उद्

• लक्ष्मीतीर्थे: at Lakṣmī-tīrtha
• लक्ष्मीतीर्थे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लक्ष्म्याः तीर्थे)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: best of the twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (द्विजेषु उत्तमाः)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समाचरेत्: should perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातुः चर् (आचरणे/गत्यर्थे) उपसर्गाः सम्-आ

• मर्त्यः: a mortal
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अनुवादक-सर्वनाम

• तम्: that very
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (taṃ taṃ = that very)

• कामम्: desire
• कामम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समश्नुते: attains
• समश्नुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातुः अश् (व्याप्तौ/अश्नुते=प्राप्नोति) उपसर्गः सम्

Speaker

Sūta (continuing instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Lakṣmī-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dwijottamas (addressed) / Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bright, auspicious bathing spot named for Lakṣmī; lotuses on the water; devotees offer flowers and coins/grain; a symbolic presence of Lakṣmī (lotus, elephants, śrī-vatsa motifs) hovers in the composition.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmī-tīrtha
• Dvijas (addressed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right intention (saṅkalpa) joined with tīrtha-snānā is portrayed as spiritually efficacious and fruit-bearing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Lakṣmī-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snāna at Lakṣmī-tīrtha with a stated intention/desire.