Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

कंबुसरस्ततो गच्छेत्तीर्थं पापप्रणाशनम् । तर्पणे च कृते श्राद्धे ह्यग्निष्टोमफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

kaṃbusarastato gacchettīrthaṃ pāpapraṇāśanam | tarpaṇe ca kṛte śrāddhe hyagniṣṭomaphalaṃ labhet

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം പാപനാശക തീർത്ഥമായ കംബു-സരസ്സിലേക്കു പോകണം; അവിടെ തർപ്പണവും ശ്രാദ്ധവും ചെയ്താൽ അഗ്നിഷ്ടോമ യാഗഫലം ലഭിക്കും।

Word by Word

• कंबुसरः: Kaṃbu-lake (Kaṃbusaras)
• कंबुसरः: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कंबुसरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रमबोधक (then)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तीर्थम्: to the sacred place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पापप्रणाशनम्: destroyer of sins
• पापप्रणाशनम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप + प्रणाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पापस्य प्रणाशनम्)

• तर्पणे: in the act of tarpaṇa (libation)
• तर्पणे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

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

• कृते: when done
• कृते: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (when performed)

• श्राद्धे: in śrāddha
• श्राद्धे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle: indeed)

• अग्निष्टोमफलम्: the fruit of the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice
• अग्निष्टोमफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निष्टोम + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अग्निष्टोमस्य फलम्)

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kaṃbu-saras

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim audience (implicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred lake with lotus blooms; a pilgrim performs tarpaṇa, pouring water through cupped hands with darbha; nearby, a simple śrāddha setup; the atmosphere suggests unseen Vedic fire-sacrifice merit arising from water-rites.

Characters & Entities

• Kaṃbu-saras
• Tarpaṇa
• Śrāddha
• Agniṣṭoma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-dharma can confer the same merit as major Vedic sacrifices when performed with proper rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kaṃbu-saras, praised as a sin-destroying sacred lake.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tarpaṇa and śrāddha performed at Kaṃbu-saras.