Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तीर्थेष्वाप्लावयिष्यामि तावदात्मानमात्मना । कुरूणां पाण्डवानां च यावदंताय कल्पते

Transliteration

tīrtheṣvāplāvayiṣyāmi tāvadātmānamātmanā | kurūṇāṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ ca yāvadaṃtāya kalpate

Translation

ਕੁਰੂਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਪਾਂਡਵਾਂ ਦਾ ਅੰਤ ਜਦ ਤੱਕ ਨਿਯਤ ਹੈ, ਤਦ ਤੱਕ ਮੈਂ ਤੀਰਥਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਨਾਨ ਕਰਦਾ ਰਹਾਂਗਾ, ਆਪਣੇ ਹੀ ਸਯਮ-ਯਤਨ ਨਾਲ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਨੂੰ ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਕਰਾਂਗਾ।

Word by Word

• तीर्थेषु: in sacred fords/pilgrimage places
• तीर्थेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Neuter, Locative (7th), Plural

• आप्लावयिष्यामि: I will bathe/immerse (cause to be washed)
• आप्लावयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√प्लु (धातु) → आप्लावय् (णिच्)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative) — Future causative: ‘I will cause to be bathed/immerse’

• तावत्: so long, until then
• तावत्: Extent/Time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-प्रयोग)
• Form: परिमाण/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of extent/time)

• आत्मानम्: myself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• आत्मना: by oneself
• आत्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• कुरूणाम्: of the Kurus
• कुरूणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Genitive (6th), Plural

• पाण्डवानाम्: of the Pandavas
• पाण्डवानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Genitive (6th), Plural

• च: and
• च: Conjunction
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• यावत्: until, as long as
• यावत्: Limit/Time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-प्रयोग)
• Form: अवधि-वाचक-अव्यय (until/as long as)

• अन्ताय: for the end
• अन्ताय: Sampradana (Purpose/recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Dative (4th), Singular

• कल्पते: is fit/comes to pass, is destined
• कल्पते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कॢप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — Present, 3rd person, Singular, Ātmanepada

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) narrating Balabhadra’s vow

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn vow-like utterance at Prabhāsa: a heroic elder (Balarāma) resolves to immerse in tīrthas until the destined end of Kuru–Pāṇḍava affairs, with the sea-breeze and sacred shoreline suggesting renunciation amid looming catastrophe.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Kurus
• Pāṇḍavas
• Balabhadra (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When worldly conflict escalates, turning to tīrtha and inner discipline is upheld as a dharmic path of purification and steadiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tīrthas of the Prabhāsa region in general, as the narrative moves toward specific sites like Rāmeśvara and the Sarasvatī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-snāna—repeated immersion/bathing in holy places as a purificatory observance.