Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

स्नानं प्रशस्तं विषुवे मन्वादिषु तथैव च । तथा कृतयुगाद्यायां माघस्य द्विजसत्तमाः

Transliteration

snānaṃ praśastaṃ viṣuve manvādiṣu tathaiva ca | tathā kṛtayugādyāyāṃ māghasya dvijasattamāḥ

Translation

О лучшие из дважды-рождённых! Омовение особенно восхваляется в дни равноденствий, в священные дни Манв-ади, а также в начале Крита-юги; равно и в месяце Магха.

Word by Word

• स्नानम्: bath, ritual bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• प्रशस्तम्: commended, auspicious
• प्रशस्तम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रशस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying स्नानम्)

• विषुवे: at the equinox
• विषुवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• मन्वादिषु: in the Manvantara etc. (periods)
• मन्वादिषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु + आदि (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; समासः—मन्वादि (मन्वन्तर-आदि)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha/Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• तथा: also, similarly
• तथा: Sambandha/Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• कृतयुगाद्यायाम्: in the (time) beginning with Kṛtayuga
• कृतयुगाद्यायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतयुग + आदि (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—कृतयुगाद्या (कृतयुग-आदि-कालः)

• माघस्य: of (the month) Māgha
• माघस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• द्विजसत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे अपि प्रयुज्यते (used as address)

Speaker

Brahmā (continuation of instruction on tīrtha-snana timing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ṛṣitīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija-sattamāḥ (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims bathing at dawn under a sky marked by equinox symbolism—balanced sun path, equal day-night; priests noting auspicious day on palm-leaf almanac; Māgha chill suggested by shawls and mist.

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣitīrtha (implied)
• Māgha (month)
• Viṣuva (equinox)
• Manv-ādi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit increases when sacred actions align with sacred time; tīrtha practice is strengthened by calendrical auspiciousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching applies to bathing at Ṛṣitīrtha in the Dvārakā context, emphasizing the best times for snāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna is recommended particularly on viṣuva (equinox), manvādi days, and during Māgha.