Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

यः स्नाति सकलं मासं प्रयागे गुप्तसंज्ञके । ब्रह्मादिभिर्न तद्वक्तुं शक्यते कल्पकोटिभिः

Transliteration

yaḥ snāti sakalaṃ māsaṃ prayāge guptasaṃjñake | brahmādibhirna tadvaktuṃ śakyate kalpakoṭibhiḥ

Translation

‘ഗുപ്ത’ എന്നു വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്ന പ്രയാഗത്തിൽ ഒരാൾ പൂർണ്ണമാസം സ്നാനം ചെയ്താൽ, അതിന്റെ പുണ്യം ബ്രഹ്മാദികൾക്കും കോടി കൽപ്പങ്ങളിലുമെങ്കിലും പൂർണ്ണമായി പറയാൻ കഴിയില്ല.

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who (he)
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (relative pronoun, nominative singular)

• snāti: bathes
• snāti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √snā (धातु: स्ना ‘to bathe’)
• Form: लट् लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• sakalam: entire
• sakalam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sakala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular); ‘māsam’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• māsam: month
• māsam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular); कालावधि (duration)

• prayāge: at Prayāga
• prayāge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular)

• guptasaṃjñake: called ‘Gupta’ (secret-named)
• guptasaṃjñake: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gupta-saṃjñaka (प्रातिपदिक: गुप्त + संज्ञक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular); तत्पुरुषः ‘गुप्ता संज्ञा यस्य’ (नामविशेषण)

• brahmādibhiḥ: by Brahmā and others
• brahmādibhiḥ: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma-ādi (प्रातिपदिक: ब्रह्म + आदि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (instrumental plural); ‘ब्रह्मा आदिः येषां ते’ (आदि-समास)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• tat: that (merit/result)
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• vaktum: to describe/say
• vaktum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु: वच् ‘to speak’)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive); ‘to speak’

• śakyate: is possible
• śakyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śak (धातु: शक् ‘to be able’)
• Form: लट् लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग (impersonal passive sense: ‘it is possible’)

• kalpakoṭibhiḥ: by crores of aeons
• kalpakoṭibhiḥ: Karana (Measure/Instrumental of extent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalpa-koṭi (प्रातिपदिक: कल्प + कोटि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (instrumental plural); तत्पुरुषः ‘कल्पानां कोटयः’

Speaker

Śiva (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gupta-Prayāga

Type: sangam

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a secluded confluence-like tīrtha called Gupta-Prayāga, a vow-keeper bathes daily through a full month; celestial beings hover, unable to ‘count’ the merit, symbolized by endless scrolls or unending rosaries.

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga
• Gupta-Prayāga
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Extended, vow-like pilgrimage practice (a month of snāna) yields immeasurable merit beyond ordinary description.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gupta-Prayāga (a ‘hidden’ Prayāga) referenced within the Prabhāsa sacred landscape/tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing daily for a full month at (Gupta-)Prayāga.