Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

शुक्लायां चैत्रमासे तु स्नानं तत्र समाचरेत् । सांनिध्याद्देवदेवस्य गंगायाश्च नृपोत्तम

Transliteration

śuklāyāṃ caitramāse tu snānaṃ tatra samācaret | sāṃnidhyāddevadevasya gaṃgāyāśca nṛpottama

Translation

ഹേ നൃപോത്തമാ! ചൈത്രമാസത്തിലെ ശുക്ലപക്ഷത്തിൽ അവിടെ സ്നാനം ആചരിക്കണം; ദേവദേവനായ മഹാദേവന്റെയും ഗംഗയുടെയും സാന്നിധ്യം അവിടെയുണ്ടാകുന്നതിനാൽ।

Word by Word

• śuklāyām: in the bright (fortnight)
• śuklāyām: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuklā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; पक्षवाचक-विशेषण (शुक्लपक्षे)

• caitra-māse: in the month of Caitra
• caitra-māse: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caitra (प्रातिपदिक) + māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (चैत्रः मासः)

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: emphasis/contrast)

• snānam: bathing
• snānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देश-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• samācaret: one should perform
• samācaret: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√car (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative/विध्यर्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• sāṃnidhyāt: due to the presence
• sāṃnidhyāt: Apadana (Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāṃnidhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन

• deva-devasya: of the God of gods
• deva-devasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (देवानां देवः)

• gaṃgāyāḥ: of Gaṅgā
• gaṃgāyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṃgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• nṛpa-uttama: O best of kings
• nṛpa-uttama: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (उत्तमः नृपः)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: (Unnamed) Śiva-Gaṅgā Kuṇḍa (Arbuda)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpottama (king; contextually Yayāti)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims bathing in a lotus-filled pond under spring skies (Caitra), with an unseen but palpable presence of Śiva and Gaṅgā—suggested by liṅga on the bank and a Gaṅgā emblematic stream motif.

Characters & Entities

• Caitra (month)
• Śukla pakṣa
• Śiva (Devadeva)
• Gaṅgā
• Śivagaṅgā-kuṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When Śiva and Gaṅgā are jointly present, the tīrtha becomes exceptionally purifying; dharma recommends bathing at the right season.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śivagaṅgā-kuṇḍa (the pond of Śiva and Gaṅgā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform tīrtha-snāna there during the bright fortnight of Caitra.