Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

विष्णोः संप्लवनार्थाय प्राणिनां च हिताय वै । गंगा गया कुरुक्षेत्रं नैमिषं पुष्कराणि च

Transliteration

viṣṇoḥ saṃplavanārthāya prāṇināṃ ca hitāya vai | gaṃgā gayā kurukṣetraṃ naimiṣaṃ puṣkarāṇi ca

Translation

விஷ்ணுவின் உலகதாரண நோக்கத்திற்கும் உயிர்களின் நலத்திற்கும் கங்கை, கயா, குருக்ஷேத்திரம், நைமிஷம், புஷ்கரம் ஆகியவை அங்கேயும் சன்னிதானமாக உள்ளன.

Word by Word

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन

• संप्लवनार्थाय: for the purpose of (holy) flooding/overflow
• संप्लवनार्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संप्लवन + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद (संप्लवनस्य अर्थः = “for the purpose of inundation/overflow”); पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/dative), एकवचन

• प्राणिनाम्: of living beings
• प्राणिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• हिताय: for the welfare
• हिताय: Sampradana (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from √धा/√हि “to place” in sense “beneficial”)
• Form: नपुंसक/पुं (usage: neuter abstract); चतुर्थी, एकवचन; “for welfare/benefit”

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• गंगा: Gaṅgā
• गंगा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गया: Gayā (holy place)
• गया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कुरूणां क्षेत्रम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नैमिषम्: Naimiṣa (forest/field)
• नैमिषम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैमिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पुष्कराणि: Puṣkaras (holy places)
• पुष्कराणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra as Tīrtha-sāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic procession of five great tīrthas personified—Gaṅgā-devī, Gayā as a śrāddha-altar with piṇḍas, Kurukṣetra as a dharma-field with banners, Naimiṣa as a forest-āśrama with sages, Puṣkara as a lotus lake—merging as streams of light into Prabhāsa under Viṣṇu’s overseeing presence.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Gaṅgā
• Gayā
• Kurukṣetra
• Naimiṣa
• Puṣkara
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas exist for loka-hita (the good of beings), concentrating divine grace so pilgrims can access vast merit in one sacred region.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra as a convergence-place said to include the sanctity of Gaṅgā, Gayā, Kurukṣetra, Naimiṣa, and Puṣkara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse frames the theological reason for tīrtha presence and their welfare-bestowing function.