Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

चित्रातीर्थं ततो गच्छेत्सरः परमशोभनम् । स्नानमात्रेण लभते घृतधेनुफलं नरः

Transliteration

citrātīrthaṃ tato gacchetsaraḥ paramaśobhanam | snānamātreṇa labhate ghṛtadhenuphalaṃ naraḥ

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം പരമശോഭനമായ ‘ചിത്ര-തീർത്ഥ’ സരോവരത്തിലേക്ക് പോകണം; അവിടെ സ്നാനം മാത്രം ചെയ്താലും ഘൃതധേനം ദാനം ചെയ്തതിനു തുല്യമായ പുണ്യഫലം ലഭിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• चित्रातीर्थम्: the Citrā-tīrtha (holy ford)
• चित्रातीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्र + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (चित्रं तीर्थम्)

• ततः: then; from there
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (तस्मात्/ततः = thereafter/from there)

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

• सरः: to the lake
• सरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (सरः = सरः/सरस्-शब्दस्य द्वितीया एकवचनरूपम्)

• परमशोभनम्: most beautiful
• परमशोभनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम + शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सरः-विशेषणम्); समासः—कर्मधारय (परमं शोभनम्)

• स्नानमात्रेण: by mere bathing
• स्नानमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (स्नानस्य मात्रम्)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• घृतधेनुफलम्: the fruit of (donating) a ghee-cow
• घृतधेनुफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत + धेनु + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (घृतधेनोः फलम् = ghee-cow merit)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Prahlāda (continued)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Citra-tīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: pilgrims/brāhmaṇas (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vividly ‘citra’ (variegated) lake—lotuses of multiple colors, birds, and patterned stone steps—where a pilgrim bathes; a symbolic cow with a ghee-lamp aura suggests ghṛtadhenu merit.

Characters & Entities

• Citra-tīrtha
• Ghṛtadhenu
• Snāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Māhātmya tradition frames sacred places as ‘merit-multipliers’ where simple rites yield great spiritual reward.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Citra-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snāna at Citra-tīrtha; its merit is equated with ghṛtadhenu-dāna.