Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

तांस्तवोदक संस्पर्शाल्लप्स्यंते मानवा भुवि

Transliteration

tāṃstavodaka saṃsparśāllapsyaṃte mānavā bhuvi

Translation

നിന്റെ ജലത്തിന്റെ സ്പർശം മാത്രത്താൽ ഭൂമിയിലെ മനുഷ്യർ ആ ലോകങ്ങളെ (അതേ ഗതിയെ) പ്രാപിക്കും।

Word by Word

• तान्: those (worlds)
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• उदक: water
• उदक: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (in compound context)

• संस्पर्शात्: from contact
• संस्पर्शात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संस्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; अपादान (from/by contact)

• लप्स्यन्ते: will obtain
• लप्स्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल/Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मानवाः: people
• मानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुव्/भू)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; अधिकरण (location)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (forbidden jalāśaya)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer, unspecified

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visual metaphor of ‘contact’: ripples spreading from a hand touching water, transforming into shadowy chains leading toward naraka, while a safe, luminous ghāṭa lies elsewhere—inviting discernment.

Characters & Entities

• Ocean (Samudra)
• Humans (mānava)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Association (saṅga)—even by touch—can transmit consequences; dharma advises careful contact with impure sources.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the narrative frames water as a potent carrier of merit or demerit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit prohibition: avoid even touching the cursed water to avoid inheriting its consequences.