Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

गोमत्यां स्नाति यो भक्त्या माघं माधववल्लभम् । समाप्तौ रक्तवस्त्राणि कञ्चुकोष्णीषमेव च

Transliteration

gomatyāṃ snāti yo bhaktyā māghaṃ mādhavavallabham | samāptau raktavastrāṇi kañcukoṣṇīṣameva ca

Translation

ଯେ ଭକ୍ତିସହିତ ଗୋମତୀରେ ମାଧବପ୍ରିୟ ମାଘମାସ ସାରା ସ୍ନାନ କରେ, ସେ ବ୍ରତସମାପ୍ତିରେ ରକ୍ତବସ୍ତ୍ର, କଞ୍ଚୁକ (ଅଙ୍ଗରଖା) ଓ ଉଷ୍ଣୀଷ (ପାଗଡ଼ି) ଦାନ କରୁ।

Word by Word

• gomatyām: in (the river) Gomati
• gomatyām: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gomatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), एकवचनम्

• snāti: bathes
• snāti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (स्ना धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धबोधकः (relative pronoun)

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• māgham: (in the month of) Māgha
• māgham: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māgha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कालवाचकः (month-name)

• mādhava-vallabham: dear to Mādhava (Viṣṇu)
• mādhava-vallabham: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mādhava (प्रातिपदिक) + vallabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying māgham: dear to Mādhava)

• samāptau: at the conclusion
• samāptau: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samāpti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• rakta-vastrāṇi: red garments
• rakta-vastrāṇi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakta (प्रातिपदिक) + vastra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• kañcuka-uṣṇīṣam: a tunic and a turban (together)
• kañcuka-uṣṇīṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kañcuka (प्रातिपदिक) + uṣṇīṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (collective dvandva)

• eva: indeed; just
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम् (emphatic/limiting particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomatī (Dvārakā)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dawn on Māgha month at the Gomatī ghāṭa in Dvārakā: devotees step into cool water with folded hands; at the end of the observance, red cloth bundles, a tunic, and a turban are offered near a Vaiṣṇava shrine with lamps and conch sounds.

Characters & Entities

• Gomatī
• Mādhava (Viṣṇu)
• Māgha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A vow culminates in gratitude expressed through dāna; merit is sealed by giving at the observance’s end.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gomatī tīrtha in the Dvārakā region, praised for Māgha-month bathing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Māgha-long bathing in Gomatī and, at completion, gifting red garments along with a tunic and a turban.