Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

तीर्थं त्वनरकंनाम नरकार्ति भयापहम् । ततस्तस्मादनरकात्तीर्थमन्यत्पुनः स्थितम्

Transliteration

tīrthaṃ tvanarakaṃnāma narakārti bhayāpaham | tatastasmādanarakāttīrthamanyatpunaḥ sthitam

Translation

‘അനരകം’ എന്ന നാമത്തിലുള്ള ഒരു തീർത്ഥമുണ്ട്; അത് നരകയാതനയും ഭയവും അകറ്റുന്നു. ആ അനരക-തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വീണ്ടും മറ്റൊരു തീർത്ഥം സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്നു.

Word by Word

• tīrtham: a tirtha
• tīrtham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• anarakam: Anaraka (name)
• anarakam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anāraka/anaraka (प्रातिपदिक; तीर्थ-नाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; नामपदम्

• nāma: named/called
• nāma: Sambandha (Naming/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नामार्थक-निपात (particle meaning 'named')

• naraka-ārti-bhaya-apaham: removing fear of hellish suffering
• naraka-ārti-bhaya-apaham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक) + ārti (प्रातिपदिक) + bhaya (प्रातिपदिक) + apaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (नरक-आर्ति-भयम् अपहन्ति इति); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तीर्थस्य)

• tatas: then/from there
• tatas: Apadana (Ablative sense/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अपादानार्थक (then/from there)

• tasmāt: from that
• tasmāt: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• anarakāt: from Anaraka (tirtha)
• anarakāt: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anāraka/anaraka (प्रातिपदिक; तीर्थ-नाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• tīrtham: a tirtha
• tīrtham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• anyat: another
• anyat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तीर्थम्)

• punas: again/further
• punas: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; adverb

• sthitam: is situated/exists
• sthitam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणवत् (स्थितम् = 'is situated/exists')

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Anaraka

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Interlocutor within Prabhāsa-māhātmya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands at a quiet water-edge labeled ‘Anaraka’, offering arghya; behind, a faint symbolic depiction of naraka dissolves into light, indicating fear removed.

Characters & Entities

• Anaraka-tīrtha
• Naraka (hell)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage joined with faith is portrayed as a purifier that counters the karmic fears symbolized by ‘naraka’ (hellish consequence).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Anaraka-tīrtha, praised for removing fear and pain associated with naraka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is stated here; the verse primarily names and eulogizes the tīrtha.