Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

त्वयोद्वाह्या यद्य वश्यमहमेवं महाबल । अस्नातां नोद्वह विभो स्नानं कर्त्तुं च देहि मे

Transliteration

tvayodvāhyā yadya vaśyamahamevaṃ mahābala | asnātāṃ nodvaha vibho snānaṃ karttuṃ ca dehi me

Translation

എന്നെ നിനക്കാൽ തന്നേ വിവാഹം കഴിക്കേണ്ടതാണെങ്കിൽ, ഹേ മഹാബല, ഹേ പ്രഭോ, സ്നാനം ചെയ്യാത്ത എന്നെ വിവാഹം കഴിക്കരുത്. സ്നാനം ചെയ്യാൻ എനിക്ക് അനുമതി തരണമേ.

Word by Word

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण) (agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (युष्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ-निर्देश

• udvāhyā: to be married
• udvāhyā: Pradhāna-predicative (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ud-vah (वह् धातु) → udvāhya (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (gerundive/तव्यत्-प्रत्ययार्थ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘to be married (by you)’

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conditional particle): ‘if’

• vaśyam: submissive
• vaśyam: Predicative complement (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vaśya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण: ‘obedient/subject’

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): ‘thus’

• mahābala: O mighty one
• mahābala: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; ‘O great-strong one’

• asnātām: (me) unbathed
• asnātām: Karma (Object/कर्म) (referring to speaker)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- + snāta (कृदन्त from स्ना धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (past participle/क्त) with negation; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘not bathed’

• na: do not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• udvaha: marry; carry off
• udvaha: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-vah (वह् धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vibho: O lord
• vibho: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• snānam: bathing
• snānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kartum: to do
• kartum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive): ‘to do’

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction): ‘and’

• dehi: give
• dehi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (दा धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• me: to me
• me: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन

Speaker

Sarasvatī (Devī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A maiden respectfully addresses a mighty lord (personified mountain/guardian), requesting permission to bathe before the wedding; the setting hints at a sacred coastal/kshetra ambience.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī (Devī)
• Personified Mountain (addressed as mahābala/vibhu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even amid crisis, dharma emphasizes śauca (purity); ritual bathing is upheld as a prerequisite for sacred acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya, the request for snāna echoes the tīrtha-culture of sacred bathing associated with holy places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) is explicitly requested as necessary before the marriage rite.