Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

प्राचीने ह्यृषिशार्दूल न चेहागच्छते पुनः । आप्लुतो वाजिमेधस्य फलं प्राप्नोति पुष्कलम्

Transliteration

prācīne hyṛṣiśārdūla na cehāgacchate punaḥ | āpluto vājimedhasya phalaṃ prāpnoti puṣkalam

Translation

Wahai harimau di antara para resi, sesiapa yang mandi di sini tidak akan kembali lagi ke arah timur, yakni ke pengembaraan duniawi. Setelah menyelam, dia memperoleh buah pahala yang melimpah, setara dengan hasil korban Aśvamedha.

Word by Word

• प्राचीने: in the eastern (region)
• प्राचीने: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राचीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक—‘(देशे) प्राचीने’

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Nipata (Emphasis/Reason marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात; कारण/निश्चयार्थ)

• ऋषिशार्दूल: O tiger among sages
• ऋषिशार्दूल: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक) + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ऋषीणां शार्दूलः)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अन्वय)

• इह: here
• इह: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक)

• आगच्छते: returns/comes
• आगच्छते: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) उपसर्ग-आ
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरावृत्तिवाचक)

• आप्लुतः: having bathed/immersed
• आप्लुतः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्लु (धातु) उपसर्ग-आ + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘यः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• वाजिमेधस्य: of the Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice)
• वाजिमेधस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजि (प्रातिपदिक) + मेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वाजिनः मेधः)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• प्राप्नोति: attains
• प्राप्नोति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु) उपसर्ग-प्र
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पुष्कलम्: abundant/great
• पुष्कलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष्कल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘फलम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa tīrtha (snāna-sthāna)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi (addressed) / assembly of sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-sage immerses in a sacred pool/river at Prabhāsa while priests and sages witness; above, a symbolic Aśvamedha horse and sacrificial fire appear as a visionary overlay, signifying equivalence of merit.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvamedha
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A simple tīrtha-bath performed in a supremely holy place can yield merit comparable to grand Vedic sacrifices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Sarasvatī/Prabhāsa tīrtha context of Adhyāya 270.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Āplavana (full immersion bathing) at the tīrtha is presented as highly efficacious.