Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

पूततीर्थाभिषेकांच्च नान्यच्छ्रेयो भवेदिति । इत्युक्त्वा वासुदेवस्तच्चिकीर्षन्सत्यमेव च । आज्ञापयामास तदा तीर्थयात्रामरिंदमः

Transliteration

pūtatīrthābhiṣekāṃcca nānyacchreyo bhavediti | ityuktvā vāsudevastaccikīrṣansatyameva ca | ājñāpayāmāsa tadā tīrthayātrāmariṃdamaḥ

Translation

“ପବିତ୍ର ତୀର୍ଥରେ ଅଭିଷେକ-ସ୍ନାନଠାରୁ ଅଧିକ ଶ୍ରେୟ ଅନ୍ୟ କିଛି ନାହିଁ।” ଏହିପରି କହି, ସତ୍ୟକୁ କରିବାରେ ଦୃଢ଼ ବାସୁଦେବ ଶତ୍ରୁଦମନ ହୋଇ ସେତେବେଳେ ତୀର୍ଥଯାତ୍ରାର ଆଜ୍ଞା ଦେଲେ।

Word by Word

• pūtatīrthābhiṣekāt: from bathing/ablution at purified holy places
• pūtatīrthābhiṣekāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūtatīrthābhiṣeka (प्रातिपदिक); pūta (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + abhiṣeka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (pūteṣu tīrtheṣu abhiṣekaḥ)

• ca: and
• ca: Avyaya (Connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• na: not
• na: Avyaya (Negation/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• anyat: other
• anyat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• śreyaḥ: the better good/benefit
• śreyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śreyas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• bhavet: would be/should be
• bhavet: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• iti: thus
• iti: Avyaya (Quotative/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणसूचक-अव्यय (quotative)

• iti: thus
• iti: Avyaya (Quotative/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणसूचक-अव्यय

• uktvā: having said
• uktvā: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Gerundial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु) + क्त्वा
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (क्त्वान्त), ‘having said’

• vāsudevaḥ: Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• vāsudevaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsudeva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• cikīrṣan: wishing to do (it)
• cikīrṣan: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु) + सन् (सन्-प्रत्यय; desiderative) + शतृ
• Form: देशिदेरटिव (सन्नन्त) वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘wishing to do’

• satyam: truth
• satyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• eva: indeed
• eva: Avyaya (Emphasis/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphasis)

• ca: and
• ca: Avyaya (Connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• ājñāpayāmāsa: commanded/ordered
• ājñāpayāmāsa: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√jñā (ज्ञा धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• tīrthayātrām: pilgrimage to holy places
• tīrthayātrām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrthayātrā (प्रातिपदिक); tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + yātrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (tīrthasya yātrā)

• ariṃdamaḥ: subduer of enemies
• ariṃdamaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ariṃdama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa), within Sūta’s narration

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa and associated pūta-tīrthas

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Varavarṇinī / audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vāsudeva speaks decisively: ‘No greater good than bathing in pure tīrthas.’ He then issues a command for a tīrtha-yātrā; messengers and attendants prepare travel—water pots, banners, carts, and conch insignia.

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva
• Tīrtha
• Abhiṣeka
• Tīrthayātrā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic path turns crisis into śreyas: tīrtha-snāna and pilgrimage, done with truthfulness and resolve, become powerful purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa is the principal tīrtha of this section; the command to undertake tīrthayātrā points specifically toward Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pūta-tīrtha-abhiṣeka (ritual bathing/immersion at holy tīrthas) and undertaking a tīrthayātrā (pilgrimage).