Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

पापिनोऽपि द्विजश्रेष्ठा ये स्नाता गोमतीजले । यज्विनां च गतिं यांति प्रसादाच्चक्रपाणिनः

Transliteration

pāpino'pi dvijaśreṣṭhā ye snātā gomatījale | yajvināṃ ca gatiṃ yāṃti prasādāccakrapāṇinaḥ

Translation

ഹേ ദ്വിജശ്രേഷ്ഠന്മാരേ, ഗോമതിജലത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്യുന്ന പാപികളും ചക്രപാണി ഭഗവാന്റെ പ്രസാദത്താൽ യജ്വികളുടെ (യജ്ഞകർതാക്കളുടെ) ഗതി പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• पापिनः: sinful (persons)
• पापिनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (ये)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवादार्थक-अव्यय (even/also)

• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; द्विज + श्रेष्ठ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘श्रेष्ठा द्विजाः’

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक

• स्नाताः: have bathed
• स्नाताः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) → स्नात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘having bathed’

• गोमतीजले: in the water of the Gomati
• गोमतीजले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमती-जला (प्रातिपदिक; गोमती + जल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘गोमत्याः जलम्’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• यज्विनाम्: of sacrificers
• यज्विनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

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

• गतिम्: state/goal (destiny)
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यान्ति: go/attain
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रसादात्: by the grace
• प्रसादात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• चक्रपाणिनः: of Cakrapāṇi (Viṣṇu)
• चक्रपाणिनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र-पाणि (प्रातिपदिक; चक्र + पाणि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः ‘यस्मिन् पाणौ चक्रं सः’ (Viṣṇu)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya narrative convention within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomatī (Dvārakā)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ (best of brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of penitents and ordinary pilgrims bathe in the Gomatī; above or in the temple precinct, Viṣṇu/Cakrapāṇi’s presence is suggested as a radiant blessing transforming them into ‘yājvin-like’ purity.

Characters & Entities

• Gomatī
• Cakrapāṇi (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine grace working through a tīrtha can uplift even the sinful to the merit-status of great ritual performers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gomatī river tīrtha in the Dvārakā sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing (snāna) in the waters of the Gomatī, relying on Cakrapāṇi Viṣṇu’s grace.