Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

ये चात्र मलनाशाय विशेयुर्मानवा जलम् । गोप्रदानसमं तेषां सुखेन फलमादिशेत्

Transliteration

ye cātra malanāśāya viśeyurmānavā jalam | gopradānasamaṃ teṣāṃ sukhena phalamādiśet

Translation

ഇവിടെ മലിനത നശിപ്പാൻ ഈ ജലത്തിൽ പ്രവേശിക്കുന്ന മനുഷ്യർക്ക് എളുപ്പത്തിൽ ഗോദാനസമമായ ഫലം ലഭിക്കുന്നു—എന്ന് പ്രഖ്യാപിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन (masculine, nominative plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Avyaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• मलनाशाय: for the destruction of impurity
• मलनाशाय: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल + नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘मलस्य नाशः’); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; प्रयोजन/हेतु (masculine, dative singular)

• विशेयुः: should enter
• विशेयुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + शी (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (optative, 3rd person plural)

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

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; प्रवेशक्रियायाः कर्म (neuter, accusative singular)

• गोप्रदानसमम्: equal to the gift of a cow
• गोप्रदानसमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गो + प्रदान + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘गोप्रदानस्य समम्’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘फलम्’ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम् (neuter, nominative/accusative singular)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive plural)

• सुखेन: easily, with ease
• सुखेन: Karana (Manner/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; प्रकार/उपाय (neuter, instrumental singular)

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; आदिश्-क्रियायाः कर्म (neuter, accusative singular)

• आदिशेत्: should declare/assign
• आदिशेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दिश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (optative, 3rd person singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-tīrtha (Prabhāsa-kṣetra waters)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience (ṛṣi/kingly interlocutor typical of māhātmya narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims step into sacred waters at Prabhāsa at dawn, hands joined, washing away dust and inner impurity; a priest nearby proclaims the merit as equal to gifting a cow.

Characters & Entities

• Go-dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred bathing performed with the intent of purification can bestow merits comparable to major gifts like go-dāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The waters of Prabhāsa-kṣetra are praised for their purificatory power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Entering/immersing in the tīrtha-water for mala-nāśa (removal of impurity).