Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

प्रयागे यत्फलं प्रोक्तं माघ्यां माधवपूजने । स्नानमात्रेण तत्प्रोक्तं चक्र तीर्थे द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

prayāge yatphalaṃ proktaṃ māghyāṃ mādhavapūjane | snānamātreṇa tatproktaṃ cakra tīrthe dvijottamāḥ

Translation

ஓ இருமுறை பிறந்தவர்களில் சிறந்தோரே! பிரயாகத்தில் மாக மாதத்தில் மாதவனைப் பூஜித்தால் கிடைக்கும் பலன் எதுவோ, அதே பலன் சக்கரதீர்த்தத்தில் வெறும் ஸ்நானமாத்திரத்தாலே உண்டாகும் என்று கூறப்பட்டது।

Word by Word

• प्रयागे: at Prayāga
• प्रयागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karta/Pratipadyam (Subject/that which is stated)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• प्रोक्तम्: is declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• माघ्याम्: in (the month) Māgha
• माघ्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कालवाचक (in the month Māgha)

• माधवपूजने: in the worship of Mādhava (Viṣṇu)
• माधवपूजने: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माधव (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (माधवस्य पूजनम्); नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• स्नानमात्रेण: by mere bathing
• स्नानमात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष; नपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• तत्: that (same)
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अन्वयः ‘तत् (फलम्)’

• प्रोक्तम्: is declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• चक्र: Cakra
• चक्र: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः; (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘चक्रतीर्थे’ इत्यर्थः (पदच्छेदेन लिखितम्)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय; पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; संबोधनार्थे प्रयोगः

Speaker

Deductive (Dvārakā Māhātmya narrator within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa; traditionally Sūta speaking in Purāṇic frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakra-tīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottamāḥ (best of the twice-born)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at dawn bathe in a sacred waterbody named Cakra-tīrtha; a subtle vision of Viṣṇu’s Sudarśana-cakra sanctifies the waters, equating the merit to Māgha worship at Prayāga.

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga
• Māgha (month)
• Mādhava (Viṣṇu)
• Cakra-tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places and sacred times both magnify worship; Dvārakā’s Cakratīrtha is praised as matching the highest seasonal merits.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Cakra-tīrtha at Dvārakā, with comparison to Prayāga’s famed Māgha observances.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at Cakra-tīrtha is highlighted as yielding the same fruit as Mādhava worship in Māgha at Prayāga.