Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

अग्नितीर्थे गते चित्रे स्ना नार्थं लवणाम्भसि । स तत्र प्रविशन्नेव नीतस्तु यमकिंकरैः

Transliteration

agnitīrthe gate citre snā nārthaṃ lavaṇāmbhasi | sa tatra praviśanneva nītastu yamakiṃkaraiḥ

Translation

ചിത്രൻ അഗ്നിതീർത്ഥത്തിലേക്ക് പോയി സമുദ്രത്തിലെ ലവണജലത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്യാൻ; അവിടെ പ്രവേശിച്ച നിമിഷം തന്നെ യമകിങ്കരന്മാർ അവനെ പിടിച്ചു കൊണ്ടുപോയി.

Word by Word

• अग्नितीर्थे: at Agni-tīrtha
• अग्नितीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नितीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अग्नेः तीर्थम्)

• गते: when (he) had gone
• गते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘गत’, पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (when (he) had gone)

• चित्रे: (in the case of) Chitra
• चित्रे: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (in/when Chitra)

• स्नानार्थम्: for bathing
• स्नानार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुषः (स्नानाय अर्थः) = प्रयोजनम्

• लवणाम्भसि: in salty water (sea)
• लवणाम्भसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लवण + अम्भस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (लवणम् अम्भः)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masc., nominative singular)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place: there)

• प्रविशन्: entering
• प्रविशन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र (उपसर्ग) + विश् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (entering)

• एव: just; indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (particle: just/indeed)

• नीतः: was taken/led
• नीतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त ‘नीत’, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे (was led)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विशेषार्थक निपात (particle: however/indeed)

• यमकिंकरैः: by Yama’s servants
• यमकिंकरैः: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम + किंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यमस्य किंकराः)

Speaker

Unspecified in excerpt (within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya narration; traditionally Sūta narrating to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Agnitīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī/Umā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Citra steps into the sea at Agnitīrtha for bathing; at the instant of immersion, stern Yamakiṅkaras appear and seize him, creating a dramatic contrast between sacred water and fearsome emissaries.

Characters & Entities

• Agnitīrtha
• Citra
• Yama
• Yamakiṅkara (Yamadūta)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even sacred acts like tīrtha-bathing do not negate moral accountability; dharma and karma remain decisive.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Agnitīrtha in Prabhāsakṣetra, associated with sea-bathing in the sacred coastal region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (holy bathing) in the salty sea-water at Agnitīrtha.