Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्याः पादाक्रान्त्या धरातलात् । आनयामास भगवान्गगां त्रिपथगां शुभाम्

Transliteration

tacchrutvā vacanaṃ tasyāḥ pādākrāntyā dharātalāt | ānayāmāsa bhagavāngagāṃ tripathagāṃ śubhām

Translation

അവളുടെ വാക്കുകൾ ശ്രവിച്ച ഭഗവാൻ പാദപ്രഹാരത്തോടെ ധരാതലം അമർത്തി, ഭൂമിയിൽ നിന്നു ത്രിപഥഗയായ ശുഭ ഗംഗയെ പുറപ്പെടുവിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (श्रुत्वा इत्यस्य कर्म)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund)

• वचनम्: words
• वचनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• पादाक्रान्त्या: by (his) foot-pressing/step
• पादाक्रान्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + आ + क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पाद-आक्रान्ति), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• धरातलात्: from the surface of the earth
• धरातलात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (धरा-तल), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• आनयामास: brought
• आनयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु) [उपसर्ग: आ-]
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• भगवान्: the Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गगाम्: the Gaṅgā
• गगाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• त्रिपथगाम्: flowing in the three paths
• त्रिपथगाम्: Karman-viśeṣaṇa (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + पथ (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (त्रि-पथ-गा = त्रिषु पथेषु गच्छती), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (गगाम् इति विशेषण)

• शुभाम्: auspicious
• शुभाम्: Karman-viśeṣaṇa (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (गगाम् इति विशेषण)

Speaker

Prahlāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā-prādurbhūta Gaṅgā (local Gaṅgā manifestation)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kṛṣṇa presses the earth with His foot; from the pressed spot a luminous stream bursts forth—Gaṅgā—while attendants and Rukmiṇī look on in wonder; the ground blooms and the air seems perfumed.

Characters & Entities

• Bhagavān (Kṛṣṇa)
• Gaṅgā (Tripathagā)
• Rukmiṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord safeguards dharma by providing sacred means—pure water and tirtha-grace—when devotion requires it.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā as the supreme tirtha is invoked within the Dvārakā narrative, linking sacred places through divine agency.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, the use of sacred water for honoring guests; Gaṅgā-water is presented as purifying and auspicious.