Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तत्र स्नात्वा महादेवि गंगेशं यस्तु पूजयेत् । मुक्तः स्यात्पातकैर्घोरैरश्वमेधायुतं लभेत्

Transliteration

tatra snātvā mahādevi gaṃgeśaṃ yastu pūjayet | muktaḥ syātpātakairghorairaśvamedhāyutaṃ labhet

Translation

ഹേ മഹാദേവി, അവിടെ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് ഗംഗേശനെ പൂജിക്കുന്നവൻ ഭയങ്കര പാപങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നു മോചിതനാകുന്നു; പത്തായിരം അശ്വമേധയാഗങ്ങളുടെ തുല്യമായ പുണ്യഫലം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकाले कृत्यर्थः ‘स्नानं कृत्वा’

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक; महा + देवी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः ‘महती देवी’

• गंगेशम्: Lord of Ganga (Gaṅgeśa)
• गंगेशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः ‘गङ्गायाः ईशः’

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• तु: indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: indeed/but)

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मुक्तः: freed
• मुक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √मुच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि, ‘विमुक्तः’

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• पातकैः: from/by sins
• पातकैः: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• घोरैः: terrible
• घोरैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषणं पातकैः सह

• अश्वमेधायुतम्: ten thousand Aśvamedha sacrifices (merit)
• अश्वमेधायुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक) + अयुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘अश्वमेधानाम् अयुतम्’ (ten-thousand Aśvamedhas)

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgāpatha / Uttānā river with Gaṅgeśvara

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrim bathes in the Uttānā/Gaṅgā at Gaṅgāpatha, then offers worship to the Gaṅgeśvara liṅga on the riverbank; the atmosphere suggests purification and immense unseen merit (Aśvamedha-tulya).

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī
• Gaṅgeśvara (Gaṅgeśa)
• Gaṅgāpatha
• Gaṅgā
• Aśvamedha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification and great merit arise from combining tīrtha-snāna with devoted worship of Śiva at the site.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgāpatha, especially the worship of Śiva as Gaṅgeśvara after bathing in the Gaṅgā/Uttānā there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform snāna (bathing) at the site and then do pūjā to Gaṅgeśa/Gaṅgeśvara; the stated fruit is release from severe sins and Aśvamedha-scale merit.