Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

विना मन्त्रेण यस्तत्र देवि स्नानं समाचरेत् । समाप्नोति क्वचिच्छ्रेयो मुक्त्वैकं पर्ववासरम्

Transliteration

vinā mantreṇa yastatra devi snānaṃ samācaret | samāpnoti kvacicchreyo muktvaikaṃ parvavāsaram

Translation

ഹേ ദേവി! അവിടെ മന്ത്രമില്ലാതെ സ്നാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവന് ചിലപ്പോഴെങ്കിലും അല്പം ശ്രേയസ്സു ലഭിക്കാം; എന്നാൽ പർവ്വദിനമായ പുണ്യദിവസത്തിൽ ആ ഏക ലാഭവും നഷ്ടമാകും.

Word by Word

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश अव्यय (preposition/adverb), ‘without’ अर्थे

• मन्त्रेण: with a mantra (i.e., by mantra); here: without mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन; ‘विना’ इत्यस्य योगे ‘मन्त्रं विना’ अर्थः

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

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

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• समाचरेत्: should perform
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, तृतीयपुरुष, एकवचन

• समाप्नोति: attains fully
• समाप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, तृतीयपुरुष, एकवचन

• क्वचित्: at some time; in some case
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (Occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/देशवाचक अव्यय (indefinite adverb: ‘at some time/anywhere’)

• श्रेयः: welfare/merit
• श्रेयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• मुक्त्वा: having left; excepting
• मुक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुच् (धातु) → मुक्त्वा (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): ‘having left/excepting’

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘पर्ववासरम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पर्ववासरम्: a festival day (parva-day)
• पर्ववासरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘पर्वणः वासरः’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva to Devī (Pārvatī) (deduced from direct address 'devi' and instruction on rite)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra Samudra-tīra (Lavaṇodadhi)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at Prabhāsa seashore hesitates to enter the waves; priests indicate the parvan day and mantra requirement, with Somnātha’s coastal sacred aura in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Pārvatī)
• Parvan day (festival sacred day)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places yield fullest fruit when approached with correct mantra and rule; intention must be joined to proper method.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘there’ refers to the Prabhāsa coastal tīrtha context of this adhyāya, where sea-bathing is regulated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing should be performed with the appropriate mantra; on parvan days, omission of mantra nullifies the benefit.