Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

एतत्तीर्थं महापुण्यं सुगुप्तं शार्ङ्गधन्वनः । पुष्करेति समाख्यातं श्राद्धमत्र प्रदीयताम्

Transliteration

etattīrthaṃ mahāpuṇyaṃ suguptaṃ śārṅgadhanvanaḥ | puṣkareti samākhyātaṃ śrāddhamatra pradīyatām

Translation

ഈ തീർത്ഥം മഹാപുണ്യകരം; ശാർങ്ഗധനുധാരി (വിഷ്ണു) അതിനെ സുസംരക്ഷിതമായി കാത്തിരിക്കുന്നു. ഇത് ‘പുഷ്കര’ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധം; അതിനാൽ ഇവിടെ ശ്രാദ്ധം അർപ്പിക്കട്ടെ।

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-विशेषणम्

• तीर्थम्: holy place, ford
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्

• महा-पुण्यम्: very meritorious
• महा-पुण्यम्: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (‘महच्च तत् पुण्यं’)

• सु-गुप्तम्: well-guarded, well-hidden
• सु-गुप्तम्: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + गुप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (‘सुष्ठु गुप्तम्’ = well-protected/hidden)

• शार्ङ्ग-धन्वनः: of the bearer of the Śārṅga bow (Viṣṇu)
• शार्ङ्ग-धन्वनः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शार्ङ्ग + धन्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), एकवचनम्; बहुव्रीहिः (‘शार्ङ्गं धनुः यस्य’ = he whose bow is Śārṅga; i.e., Viṣṇu)

• पुष्कर: Puṣkara (name)
• पुष्कर: Karta (Predicate-noun/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्; नामरूपेण (as a name)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्तिसूचक-अव्ययम् (quotative particle: thus)

• समाख्यातम्: is called
• समाख्यातम्: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + ख्या (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्; ‘called/known’

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: here)

• प्रदीयताम्: let (it) be offered
• प्रदीयताम्: Kriya (Injunctive action/विधि-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम् (passive/impersonal sense: ‘let it be given’)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkara (Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rāma

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas point out the tīrtha’s greatness: ‘Puṣkara’, guarded by Viṣṇu with the Śārṅga bow, and instruct that śrāddha be offered there.

Characters & Entities

• Puṣkara-tīrtha
• Viṣṇu (Śārṅgadhanvan)
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s sanctity amplifies ancestral offerings; performing Śrāddha at a praised site yields heightened puṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Puṣkara-tīrtha within Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

To perform Śrāddha (offerings to Pitṛs) specifically at Puṣkara-tīrtha.