Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

यत्र तीर्थे लभेल्लिंगं तीर्थं च विमलोदकम् । तत्राग्निकार्यं कृत्वादौ विशिष्टं दानमिष्यते

Transliteration

yatra tīrthe labhelliṃgaṃ tīrthaṃ ca vimalodakam | tatrāgnikāryaṃ kṛtvādau viśiṣṭaṃ dānamiṣyate

Translation

ज्या तीर्थी लिंग व निर्मळ जलयुक्त तीर्थ मिळेल, तेथे प्रथम अग्निकार्य करून विशेष श्रेष्ठ दान करणे उचित मानले आहे।

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• तीर्थे: at a sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• लिङ्गम्: (Śiva-)liṅga
• लिङ्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्म

• तीर्थम्: a holy place/ford
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्म

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

• विमल-उदकम्: pure water
• विमल-उदकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमल (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्म; कर्मधारयः—विमलम् उदकम्

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

• अग्निकार्यम्: fire-rite, ritual act with fire
• अग्निकार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्म; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अग्नेः कार्यम्)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive)

• आदौ: at the beginning
• आदौ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (locative used adverbially: at first)

• विशिष्टम्: excellent, special
• विशिष्टम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from विशिष्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण—दानस्य

• दानम्: gift, donation
• दानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय (that which is prescribed)

• इष्यते: is prescribed/approved
• इष्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense: is desired/approved)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Liṅga-yukta vimala-udaka tīrtha (within Prabhāsa)

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a pristine water-tīrtha beside a Śiva-liṅga, priests kindle a small homa fire; after the agni rite, the pilgrim offers a distinguished donation. The setting is coastal-western India with temple stones and clear water.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Liṅga
• Vimala-udaka
• Agni-kārya (homa)
• Dāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha merit is heightened when worship is orderly—devotion (liṅga), purity (vimalodaka), and rite (agni-kārya) culminating in dāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Any Prabhāsa tīrtha characterized by a liṅga and pure sacred waters.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform agni-kārya (fire rite) first, then undertake a distinguished donation at that tīrtha.