Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

आत्मा च पार्थिवश्रेष्ठ स्नानाच्च जलतर्पणात् । यस्मात्कुलं त्वया पुत्र तीर्थेऽस्मिंस्तारितं ततः

Transliteration

ātmā ca pārthivaśreṣṭha snānācca jalatarpaṇāt | yasmātkulaṃ tvayā putra tīrthe'smiṃstāritaṃ tataḥ

Translation

ഹേ രാജശ്രേഷ്ഠാ, ഈ സ്നാനവും ജലതർപ്പണവും നിന്റെ ആത്മാവിനെയും ശുദ്ധമാക്കുന്നു; കാരണം, ഹേ പുത്രാ, ഈ തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ തന്നെയാണ് നിന്മൂലം ഈ കുലം തരിക്കപ്പെട്ടത്।

Word by Word

• आत्मा: the self (you yourself)
• आत्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पार्थिवश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• पार्थिवश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘पार्थिवानां श्रेष्ठः’)

• स्नानात्: from bathing
• स्नानात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• जलतर्पणात्: from water-offering (libation)
• जलतर्पणात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘जलस्य तर्पणम्’)

• यस्मात्: because
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverbial form ‘because/from which reason’)

• कुलम्: the family/lineage
• कुलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अत्र कर्मरूपेण (object)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• पुत्र: O son
• पुत्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• तीर्थे: in the sacred place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• तारितम्: saved, delivered
• तारितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तॄ (धातु) + त (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘कुलम्’

• ततः: therefore
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतु/अनन्तरवाचक-अव्यय (therefore/then)

Speaker

Pitṛs (forefathers), reported by Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nirmalodaka

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After bathing, the king stands at the water’s edge offering cupped water (añjali) as tarpaṇa; subtle light indicates purification; the atmosphere is calm and resolved.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Pārthiva (King)
• Tīrtha
• Jalatarpaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rites at a tīrtha purify the performer and serve as a bridge of duty and compassion toward one’s ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Arbuda tīrtha where snāna and jalatarpaṇa are performed—celebrated for saving the kula.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) and jala-tarpaṇa (water oblations, especially for pitṛs).