Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

पुण्यं सारस्वतं तीर्थं पुण्यकृल्लभते नरः । दुर्लभं त्रिषु लोकेषु वैशाख्या सोमपर्वणि

Transliteration

puṇyaṃ sārasvataṃ tīrthaṃ puṇyakṛllabhate naraḥ | durlabhaṃ triṣu lokeṣu vaiśākhyā somaparvaṇi

Translation

പുണ്യകർമ്മം ചെയ്ത മനുഷ്യൻ പുണ്യമായ സാരസ്വത തീർത്ഥം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു. ത്രിലോകങ്ങളിലും അതിന്റെ ഫലം ദുർലഭം; പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് വൈശാഖമാസത്തിലെ സോമപർവ്വദിനത്തിൽ.

Word by Word

• पुण्यम्: holy
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; 'तीर्थम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• सारस्वतम्: of Sarasvatī
• सारस्वतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सारस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'तीर्थम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तीर्थम्: pilgrimage place, sacred ford
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• पुण्यकृत्: a meritorious person (doer of merit)
• पुण्यकृत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; कर्तरि (doer)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'पुण्यकृत्' इत्यस्य समानाधिकरणम्

• दुर्लभम्: rare to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Visheshana (Predicate qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; 'तीर्थम्' इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणम्

• त्रिषु: in three
• त्रिषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन; 'लोकेषु' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• लोकेषु: worlds
• लोकेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन

• वैशाख्या: on the Vaiśākhī (day)
• वैशाख्या: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशाखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; कालविशेषे (by/at Vaiśākhī)

• सोमपर्वणि: on the Soma-festival day
• सोमपर्वणि: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक) + पर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sārasvata-tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims arriving at a famed ghāṭa marked ‘Sārasvata’; a lunar emblem (Soma) and Vaiśākha spring motifs (mango blossoms) indicate rare auspicious timing; priests announce parvan observance.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Sārasvata Tīrtha
• Prabhāsa
• Vaiśākha
• Soma-parvan

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit (puṇya) ripens into access to rare and powerful tīrthas; sacred time (Vaiśākha, Soma-parvan) further intensifies that merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Sārasvata Tīrtha connected with the Sarasvatī at Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is commanded; the verse highlights the auspicious conjunction of pilgrimage with Vaiśākha and a Soma-parvan day.