Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तत्र स्नात्वा गृहीत्वापो बिले तस्मिन्व्रजंति ताः । तत्र वैनायके पीठे महत्पाषाणजं जलम्

Transliteration

tatra snātvā gṛhītvāpo bile tasminvrajaṃti tāḥ | tatra vaināyake pīṭhe mahatpāṣāṇajaṃ jalam

Translation

तेथे स्नान करून त्या पाणी घेऊन त्या गुहेत प्रवेश करतात. तेथे वैनायक-पीठावर महान शिळेतून उद्भवलेले विपुल जल आहे.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• गृहीत्वा: having taken
• गृहीत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• आपः: waters
• आपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; (आपः इति बहुवचन-रूपम्)

• बिले: in the cave
• बिले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: in that (place)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• व्रजन्ति: they go/enter
• व्रजन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• ताः: those (women)
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• वैनायके: in (the place) of Vaināyaka (Gaṇeśa-related)
• वैनायके: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैनायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• पीठे: at the sacred seat/altar
• पीठे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• महत्-पाषाण-जम्: born from a great rock/stone-origin
• महत्-पाषाण-जम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पाषाण (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः; पाषाणात् जातम्, महत् पाषाणः यस्य/यतः), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaināyaka-pīṭha (within/near the eastern cave)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pātāla maidens bathe, then fill vessels with water and disappear into the cave; within, a Vaināyaka seat is shown beside a great stone from which abundant water gushes forth.

Characters & Entities

• Vaināyaka (Gaṇeśa)
• Pīṭha (sacred seat)
• Bila (cave)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divinity is embedded in sacred landscapes; waters connected to a deity’s pīṭha are portrayed as uniquely potent and transformative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The cave (bila) and the Vaināyaka pīṭha within the Arbuda-khaṇḍa sacred region, featuring a stone-born spring.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathe, then take (collect) the sacred water and proceed to/through the cave—implying a tīrtha-circulation and water-collection practice.