Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 179

Devanagari script

गोप्रतारे नरो विद्वान्योऽपि स्नाति सुनिश्चितः । विशत्यसौ परं स्थानं योगिनामपि दुर्लभम्

Transliteration

gopratāre naro vidvānyo'pi snāti suniścitaḥ | viśatyasau paraṃ sthānaṃ yogināmapi durlabham

Translation

ഏതൊരു പണ്ഡിതനും ദൃഢവിശ്വാസത്തോടെ ഗോപ്രതാരത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്താൽ, അവൻ നിശ്ചയമായി യോഗികൾക്കും ദുർലഭമായ പരമസ്ഥാനത്തിൽ പ്രവേശിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• गोप्रतारे: at Gopratāra (the ford/place named Gopratāra)
• गोप्रतारे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो-प्रतार (प्रातिपदिक; गो + प्रतार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गवां प्रतारः)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• विद्वान्: learned, wise
• विद्वान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्वस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेष्य-विशेषणभावे विशेषणम्

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचकः (relative pronoun)

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• स्नाति: bathes
• स्नाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• सुनिश्चितः: certainly determined, assured
• सुनिश्चितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-निश्चित (प्रातिपदिक; सु + निश्चित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नरः/विद्वान्)

• विशति: enters, attains
• विशति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• असौ: that person
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; संकेतवाचक (demonstrative pronoun)

• परम्: supreme, highest
• परम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्थानम्)

• स्थानम्: abode, place
• स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• योगिनाम्: of yogis
• योगिनाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• दुर्लभम्: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्-लभ (प्रातिपदिक; दुर् + लभ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्थानम्)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced: Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa narration style, tīrtha-māhātmya instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gopratāra

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned pilgrim steps into the river at dawn, hands joined, eyes closed in firm conviction; the water glows subtly as if opening a path to the ‘supreme abode’ beyond even yogic reach.

Characters & Entities

• Gopratāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faithful tīrtha-snānā (ritual bathing at a sacred ford) can grant the highest spiritual attainment, surpassing even difficult yogic goals.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gopratāra Tīrtha in Ayodhyā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing (snāna) at Gopratāra with firm resolve and faith.