Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

स्नात्वा रूपमिदं प्राप्ता सुरूपं च शुभं मया । दुर्ल्लभस्त्वं हि देवानां किं पुनर्मर्त्यजन्मनाम्

Transliteration

snātvā rūpamidaṃ prāptā surūpaṃ ca śubhaṃ mayā | durllabhastvaṃ hi devānāṃ kiṃ punarmartyajanmanām

Translation

സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് ഞാൻ ഈ രൂപം പ്രാപിച്ചു—സുന്ദരവും ശുഭവും. നീ ദേവന്മാർക്കുപോലും ദുർലഭൻ; പിന്നെ മർത്ത്യജന്മധാരികൾക്ക് എത്രയോ ദുർലഭം!

Word by Word

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वक्रिया (having bathed)

• रूपम्: form/beauty
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मपदम्

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘रूपम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• प्राप्ता: (I) obtained
• प्राप्ता: Kriya (Result/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वाक्ये क्रियावत् (I have obtained)

• सुरूपम्: very beautiful
• सुरूपम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘रूपम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक

• शुभम्: auspicious/pleasant
• शुभम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘रूपम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr (Agent/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन; कर्तृ/करणभावे (by me)

• दुर्लभः: hard to obtain/rare
• दुर्लभः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + लभ (धातु) → दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘त्वम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थक (indeed/for)

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (among/of the gods)

• किम्: what (then)
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative particle/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रश्नार्थक (what?)—अत्र ‘किं पुनः’ इति वाक्यांशे

• पुनः: then/more so
• पुनः: Sambandha (Emphasis/अधिक्य)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, पुनरुक्ति/अधिक्यार्थक (again/more so)

• मर्त्यजन्मनाम्: of those with mortal birth (humans)
• मर्त्यजन्मनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक) + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (जन्मन्), षष्ठी, बहुवचन; ‘मर्त्यानां जन्मनाम्’ (of mortal births/among mortals)

Speaker

The woman (Ābhīrī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-snān tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śakra (Indra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The woman, newly radiant after bathing, speaks with wonder; droplets on skin, luminous aura; Indra appears astonished; the sacred water glows.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Snāna (bathing)
• Devas
• Mortals

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha is praised as transformative through snāna, and the verse underscores the hierarchy of attainments—what is rare even for gods is rarer for mortals.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sacred waters of the Arbuda setting are implied as the cause of transformation; the specific tīrtha name is not present in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) is explicitly referenced as the act leading to the auspicious transformation.