Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

अन्नाभावान्ममोत्पन्न उपवासो बलाद्यतः । तदहं पद्मके तीर्थेस्नात्वा च लवणांभसि

Transliteration

annābhāvānmamotpanna upavāso balādyataḥ | tadahaṃ padmake tīrthesnātvā ca lavaṇāṃbhasi

Translation

ആഹാരാഭാവം മൂലം എനിക്ക് അനിവാര്യമായി ഉപവാസം വന്നു. തുടർന്ന് ഞാൻ പദ്മക തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്തു; ലവണജലത്തിലും (സമുദ്രത്തിലും) സ്നാനം ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• अन्न-अभावात्: from lack of food
• अन्न-अभावात्: Apadana/Hetu (Cause/अपादान-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + अभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; हेतौ (because of)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन

• उत्पन्नः: arisen
• उत्पन्नः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्√पद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with उपवासः)

• उपवासः: fasting
• उपवासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• बलात्: by force, inevitably
• बलात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (forcibly/inevitably)

• यतः: since, because
• यतः: Sambandha (Causal connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कारणार्थक (because/since)

• तत्: therefore
• तत्: Sambandha (Conclusion marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; तस्मात्/अतः (therefore)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पद्मके: at Padmaka (place)
• पद्मके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having bathed)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• लवण-अम्भसि: in salty water (sea-water)
• लवण-अम्भसि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लवण (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्भस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन

Speaker

Rājā (continuing his account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Padmaka-tīrtha (within Prabhāsa) and Lavanāmbhas (sea)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa-sattamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, having fasted, approaches Padmaka Tīrtha—lotus-filled waters—then proceeds to the seashore for a second bath in salty waves; attendants hold simple cloth and water pot; dawn light over the coast.

Characters & Entities

• Padmaka Tīrtha
• Sea (lavaṇāmbhas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even hardship (lack of food) can become vrata-supporting discipline, and tīrtha-snānā is presented as purifying and meritorious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Padmaka Tīrtha within the Prabhāsa sacred region, along with the purifying sea-bath.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Upavāsa (fasting) and snāna (bathing) at Padmaka Tīrtha and in the sea.