Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

सन्नद्धौ दृढधन्वानौ संकर्षणजनार्दनौ । ऊचतुस्तौ तदा विप्रं कुरु स्नानं यदृच्छया

Transliteration

sannaddhau dṛḍhadhanvānau saṃkarṣaṇajanārdanau | ūcatustau tadā vipraṃ kuru snānaṃ yadṛcchayā

Translation

ତେବେ ସନ୍ନଦ୍ଧ ଓ ଦୃଢ ଧନୁଷ୍ୟଧାରୀ ସଙ୍କର୍ଷଣ ଓ ଜନାର୍ଦନ ସେହି ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣଙ୍କୁ କହିଲେ—“ଯଥେଚ୍ଛା ସ୍ନାନ କରନ୍ତୁ।”

Word by Word

• सन्नद्धौ: armed, equipped
• सन्नद्धौ: Karta-visheshana (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+नह् (धातु) → सन्नद्ध (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेषण (qualifying the two)

• दृढधन्वानौ: having firm bows
• दृढधन्वानौ: Karta-visheshana (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृढ (प्रातिपदिक) + धन्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (दृढं धनुः यस्य) ‘having firm bow’

• संकर्षणजनार्दनौ: Saṃkarṣaṇa and Janārdana
• संकर्षणजनार्दनौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संकर्षण (प्रातिपदिक) + जनार्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (two names)

• ऊचतुः: said
• ऊचतुः: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन; परस्मैपद

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• विप्रम्: the brāhmaṇa
• विप्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कुरु: do, perform
• कुरु: Kriya (Injunction/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यदृच्छया: by chance, as you please
• यदृच्छया: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यदृच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (idiomatic: ‘by chance/at will’)

Speaker

Saṅkarṣaṇa and Janārdana

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomatī–Samudra Saṅgama

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the shoreline confluence, Saṅkarṣaṇa and Janārdana stand armed with bows, respectfully addressing Durvāsā and inviting him to bathe as he wishes; sacred waters shimmer behind.

Characters & Entities

• Saṅkarṣaṇa (Balarāma)
• Janārdana (Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa)
• Brāhmaṇa (Durvāsā, by context)
• Snāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity is honored and protected; sacred acts flourish when dharma is guarded by divine power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is the Gomati–ocean confluence tīrtha within the Dvārakā-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (holy bathing) is directly instructed for the brāhmaṇa at the tīrtha.