Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 98

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मज्ञानेन मुच्यन्ते प्रयागे मरणेन वा । अथवा स्नानमात्रेण गोमत्यां कृष्णसंनिधौ

Transliteration

brahmajñānena mucyante prayāge maraṇena vā | athavā snānamātreṇa gomatyāṃ kṛṣṇasaṃnidhau

Translation

ବ୍ରହ୍ମଜ୍ଞାନରେ ମୁକ୍ତି ମିଳେ, କିମ୍ବା ପ୍ରୟାଗରେ ମରଣରେ; ଅଥବା କୃଷ୍ଣସାନ୍ନିଧ୍ୟରେ ଗୋମତୀରେ କେବଳ ସ୍ନାନମାତ୍ରେ ମଧ୍ୟ।

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मज्ञानेन: by knowledge of Brahman
• ब्रह्मज्ञानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः ज्ञानम्)

• मुच्यन्ते: are released/attain liberation
• मुच्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/मध्यार्थे (are liberated)

• प्रयागे: at Prayāga
• प्रयागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• मरणेन: by death
• मरणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• अथवा: or else/alternatively
• अथवा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (alternative: or else)

• स्नानमात्रेण: by mere bathing
• स्नानमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (स्नानस्य मात्रम्)

• गोमत्याम्: in/at the Gomati (river)
• गोमत्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• कृष्णसंनिधौ: in the presence/proximity of Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णसंनिधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + संनिधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (कृष्णस्य संनिधिः)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomatī (Dvārakā)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims descend the Gomati steps at dawn; the sea meets the river; in the background rises Dvārakā’s temple, and a radiant sense of Kṛṣṇa’s presence pervades the waters.

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga
• Gomatī
• Kṛṣṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine proximity (Kṛṣṇa-saṃnidhi) and tirtha-snān can function as swift means toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gomati at Dvārakā, specifically in the presence of Kṛṣṇa; Prayāga is cited as a parallel mokṣa-site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) in the Gomati near Kṛṣṇa.