Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

तत्पुरं तु समासाद्य गंगायाः शोभने तटे । अकुर्वन्वसतिं वीराः स्नानदानादिकर्म्म च

Transliteration

tatpuraṃ tu samāsādya gaṃgāyāḥ śobhane taṭe | akurvanvasatiṃ vīrāḥ snānadānādikarmma ca

Translation

அந்நகரை அடைந்து கங்கையின் அழகிய கரையில் அந்த வீரர்கள் தங்குமிடத்தை அமைத்து, ஸ்நானம், தானம் முதலான கர்மங்களைச் செய்தனர்.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपे (Neuter, Accusative, Singular; ‘that’)

• पुरम्: city
• पुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Avyaya (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• समासाद्य: having reached
• समासाद्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√सद् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (gerund: ‘having approached/reached’)

• गङ्गायाः: of the Ganga
• गङ्गायाः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (Feminine, Genitive, Singular)

• शोभने: beautiful
• शोभने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तट-विशेषण (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• तटे: on the bank
• तटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• अकुर्वन्: they made/did
• अकुर्वन्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद (Imperfect, 3rd person, Plural, Parasmaipada)

• वसतिम्: a dwelling/residence
• वसतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• वीराः: heroes/warriors
• वीराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• स्नानदानादिकर्म: acts like bathing, giving, etc.
• स्नानदानादिकर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘स्नानं दानं च आदयः येषां तानि कर्माणि’ (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

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

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa-style narration within the Purāṇic frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gaṅgā-tīra (within Dharmāraṇya setting)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims reach a riverside city; tents/temporary dwellings rise near the bank; men descend steps to the Gaṅgā for bathing; priests receive gifts; the river glows.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is honored through disciplined living—establishing a pure stay and practicing snāna and dāna as lived dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gaṅgā’s auspicious riverbank (Gaṅgā-taṭa) is highlighted as the sacred setting for meritorious acts.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) and dāna (charitable giving), along with related observances.