Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

पश्यध्वं गोपिकाः शुभ्रं सरः सरं समीपतः । स्वच्छमिष्टजलापूर्णं सज्जनानां यथा मनः

Transliteration

paśyadhvaṃ gopikāḥ śubhraṃ saraḥ saraṃ samīpataḥ | svacchamiṣṭajalāpūrṇaṃ sajjanānāṃ yathā manaḥ

Translation

“ହେ ଗୋପିକାମାନେ! ନିକଟରେ ଥିବା ଏହି ଶୁଭ୍ର ଦୀପ୍ତିମାନ ସରୋବରକୁ ଦେଖ; ଏହା ସ୍ୱଚ୍ଛ, ଇଷ୍ଟ ମଧୁର ଜଳରେ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ—ସଜ୍ଜନଙ୍କ ମନ ପରି।”

Word by Word

• paśyadhvam: see!, behold!
• paśyadhvam: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paś (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम

• gopikāḥ: O cowherd-girls
• gopikāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gopikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे प्रथमा-प्रयोग (address)

• śubhram: bright, white, pure
• śubhram: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubhra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• saraḥ: lake
• saraḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘saraḥ’ = saras (acc.sg)

• saram: flowing, moving (clear-running)
• saram: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (moving/flowing)

• samīpataḥ: from nearby, at close range
• samīpataḥ: Adhikarana (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samīpa (प्रातिपदिक) + -tas (तसिल्)
• Form: तसिलन्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb)

• svaccha-miṣṭa-jala-āpūrṇam: filled with clear, sweet water
• svaccha-miṣṭa-jala-āpūrṇam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svaccha (प्रातिपदिक) + miṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + jala (प्रातिपदिक) + āpūrṇa (कृदन्त; ā-√pṝ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘āpūrṇa’; तत्पुरुष-समास (svacchena miṣṭena jalena āpūrṇam)

• sajjanānām: of good people
• sajjanānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक) + jana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (satāṃ janānām)

• yathā: as, like
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle: ‘as/like’)

• manaḥ: mind
• manaḥ: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; अत्र उपमानपद (as ‘mind’)

Speaker

Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śubhra-saras (descriptive epithet; formal name given later)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kṛṣṇa points toward a luminous, clear lake; the water is transparent, reflecting sky and lotuses. Gopīs lean forward, captivated by the lake’s radiance and sweetness.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Gopīs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s clarity mirrors inner clarity; purity of heart is the true ornament of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A luminous, clear lake near Dvārakā that becomes known by names connected with the gopīs.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; the verse praises the tīrtha’s purity and sweetness.