Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

प्राचीने ह्यृषिशार्दूल न चेहागच्छते पुनः । आप्लुतो वाजिमेधस्य फलं प्राप्नोति पुष्कलम्

Transliteration

prācīne hyṛṣiśārdūla na cehāgacchate punaḥ | āpluto vājimedhasya phalaṃ prāpnoti puṣkalam

Translation

ऋषिशार्दूल, अत्र स्नात्वा पुनः प्राचीं न गच्छति। अत्राप्लुतः पुष्कलं फलं प्राप्नोति, यदश्वमेधस्य समम्।

Word by Word

• प्राचीने: in the eastern (region)
• प्राचीने: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राचीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक—‘(देशे) प्राचीने’

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Nipata (Emphasis/Reason marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात; कारण/निश्चयार्थ)

• ऋषिशार्दूल: O tiger among sages
• ऋषिशार्दूल: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक) + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ऋषीणां शार्दूलः)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अन्वय)

• इह: here
• इह: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक)

• आगच्छते: returns/comes
• आगच्छते: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) उपसर्ग-आ
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरावृत्तिवाचक)

• आप्लुतः: having bathed/immersed
• आप्लुतः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्लु (धातु) उपसर्ग-आ + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘यः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• वाजिमेधस्य: of the Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice)
• वाजिमेधस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजि (प्रातिपदिक) + मेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वाजिनः मेधः)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• प्राप्नोति: attains
• प्राप्नोति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु) उपसर्ग-प्र
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पुष्कलम्: abundant/great
• पुष्कलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष्कल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘फलम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa tīrtha (snāna-sthāna)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi (addressed) / assembly of sages (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-sage immerses in a sacred pool/river at Prabhāsa while priests and sages witness; above, a symbolic Aśvamedha horse and sacrificial fire appear as a visionary overlay, signifying equivalence of merit.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvamedha
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A simple tīrtha-bath performed in a supremely holy place can yield merit comparable to grand Vedic sacrifices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Sarasvatī/Prabhāsa tīrtha context of Adhyāya 270.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Āplavana (full immersion bathing) at the tīrtha is presented as highly efficacious.