Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

शुक्लायां चैत्रमासे तु स्नानं तत्र समाचरेत् । सांनिध्याद्देवदेवस्य गंगायाश्च नृपोत्तम

Transliteration

śuklāyāṃ caitramāse tu snānaṃ tatra samācaret | sāṃnidhyāddevadevasya gaṃgāyāśca nṛpottama

Translation

“Pada paruh terang bulan Caitra, hendaklah dilakukan mandi suci di sana, wahai raja termulia—kerana di situ hadir Dewa segala dewa (Śiva) dan juga Gaṅgā.”

Word by Word

• śuklāyām: in the bright (fortnight)
• śuklāyām: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuklā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; पक्षवाचक-विशेषण (शुक्लपक्षे)

• caitra-māse: in the month of Caitra
• caitra-māse: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caitra (प्रातिपदिक) + māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (चैत्रः मासः)

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: emphasis/contrast)

• snānam: bathing
• snānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

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

• samācaret: one should perform
• samācaret: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√car (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative/विध्यर्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• sāṃnidhyāt: due to the presence
• sāṃnidhyāt: Apadana (Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāṃnidhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन

• deva-devasya: of the God of gods
• deva-devasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (देवानां देवः)

• gaṃgāyāḥ: of Gaṅgā
• gaṃgāyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṃgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

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

• nṛpa-uttama: O best of kings
• nṛpa-uttama: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (उत्तमः नृपः)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: (Unnamed) Śiva-Gaṅgā Kuṇḍa (Arbuda)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpottama (king; contextually Yayāti)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims bathing in a lotus-filled pond under spring skies (Caitra), with an unseen but palpable presence of Śiva and Gaṅgā—suggested by liṅga on the bank and a Gaṅgā emblematic stream motif.

Characters & Entities

• Caitra (month)
• Śukla pakṣa
• Śiva (Devadeva)
• Gaṅgā
• Śivagaṅgā-kuṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When Śiva and Gaṅgā are jointly present, the tīrtha becomes exceptionally purifying; dharma recommends bathing at the right season.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śivagaṅgā-kuṇḍa (the pond of Śiva and Gaṅgā).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform tīrtha-snāna there during the bright fortnight of Caitra.