Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

दर्शनादेव पापस्य क्षयो भवति भो द्विजाः । प्रणामे मनसस्तुष्टिर्मुक्तिश्चैवावगाहने

Transliteration

darśanādeva pāpasya kṣayo bhavati bho dvijāḥ | praṇāme manasastuṣṭirmuktiścaivāvagāhane

Translation

ഹേ ദ്വിജന്മാരേ! വെറും ദർശനമാത്രത്താൽ പാപക്ഷയം സംഭവിക്കുന്നു. പ്രണാമം ചെയ്താൽ മനസ്സ് തൃപ്തിയാകും; ഇതിലെ ജലത്തിൽ അവഗാഹനം (സ്നാനം/മുഴുകൽ) ചെയ്താൽ മോക്ഷവും ലഭിക്കും.

Word by Word

• दर्शनात्: from (mere) seeing
• दर्शनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• एव: just, indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थ-निपात (emphasis)

• पापस्य: of sin
• पापस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• क्षयः: destruction, cessation
• क्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भवति: happens, occurs
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भो: O!
• भो: Sambodhana (Address marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भो (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• द्विजाः: O twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), बहुवचन

• प्रणामे: in (the act of) bowing
• प्रणामे: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• मनसः: of the mind
• मनसः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• तुष्टिः: satisfaction
• तुष्टिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थ-निपात (emphasis)

• अवगाहने: in bathing/immersion
• अवगाहने: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवगाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya narrative context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomatī–Samudra-saṅgama (Dvārakā)

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (dvijāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas stand on Dvārakā’s ghāṭa as the Gomatī meets the sea; pilgrims first gaze upon the sacred waters, then bow with folded hands, then step into the water for full immersion; the atmosphere conveys cleansing and release.

Characters & Entities

• Darśana
• Praṇāma
• Avagāhana
• Mukti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-mahima is graded: darśana purifies, praṇāma steadies the mind, and avagāhana (ritual immersion) is extolled as leading to mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The adhyāya’s praised tīrtha: the Gomatī–Ocean confluence in the Dvārakā region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (visiting/seeing), praṇāma (salutation), and avagāhana (immersion/bathing).