Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

अंगुष्ठपर्वमात्रांस्तान्वामनान्हरिमन्दिरे । गतान्गंगाजले स्नातुं वालखिल्यान्पुरो हरिः

Transliteration

aṃguṣṭhaparvamātrāṃstānvāmanānharimandire | gatāngaṃgājale snātuṃ vālakhilyānpuro hariḥ

Translation

ഹരിമന്ദിരത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ഗംഗാജലത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്യാൻ പോയ അങ്കുഷ്ഠസന്ധിമാത്ര വലിപ്പമുള്ള വാമനരൂപ വാലഖില്യരുടെ മുമ്പിൽ ഹരി മുന്നേറി പോയി.

Word by Word

• अङ्गुष्ठ: thumb
• अङ्गुष्ठ: Sambandha (Genitival/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (Masculine stem)

• पर्व: joint/segment
• पर्व: Sambandha (Genitival/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (Neuter stem)

• मात्रान्: measures (of size)
• मात्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Plural)

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

• वामनान्: dwarfs
• वामनान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

• हरि-मन्दिरे: in Hari’s temple
• हरि-मन्दिरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Genitive determinative: 'of Hari')

• गतान्: gone/arrived
• गतान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Past participle, Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

• गङ्गा-जले: in the water of the Gaṅgā
• गङ्गा-जले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक) + जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ('water of Gaṅgā')

• स्नातुम्: to bathe
• स्नातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), क्रियार्थ (purpose)

• वालखिल्यान्: the Vālakhilya sages
• वालखिल्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वालखिल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

• पुरः: in front
• पुरः: Desha/Adhikarana (Spatial adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb)

• हरिः: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā-jala tīrtha at Vastrāpatha (from Hari-mandira)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A procession from Hari’s temple: thumb-joint-sized Vālakhilyas walk toward the Gaṅgā-water; Hari, radiant and protective, moves ahead on the path, turning back as if guiding them.

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Harimandira
• Vālakhilya Ṛṣis
• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord accompanies and leads even the smallest and humblest devotees; sacred bathing becomes a shared divine journey.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gaṅgā-water snāna in the Mandara setting, connected with Hari’s temple (Harimandira), is foregrounded.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) in Gaṅgā water is explicitly mentioned.