Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

प्राचीं सरस्वतीं प्राप्य योन्यत्तीर्थं हि मार्गते । स करस्थं समुत्सृज्य कूर्परेण समाचरेत्

Transliteration

prācīṃ sarasvatīṃ prāpya yonyattīrthaṃ hi mārgate | sa karasthaṃ samutsṛjya kūrpareṇa samācaret

Translation

ప్రాచీ సరస్వతిని చేరి యోన్యత్తీర్థాన్ని అన్వేషించాలి; అక్కడ చేతిలో ఉన్నదాన్ని విడిచి కూర్పర విధానంతో కర్మాచరణ చేయాలి।

Word by Word

• prācīm: Prācī (river/stream)
• prācīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prācī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• sarasvatīm: Sarasvatī
• sarasvatīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarasvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• prāpya: having reached
• prāpya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √prāp (प्राप् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; अर्थः—प्राप्य = having reached

• yonyat-tīrtham: the Yonyat ford/sacred bathing-place
• yonyat-tīrtham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yonyat + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—yonyat + tīrtha (विशेषण-विशेष्य/तत्पुरुष)

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/हेतु-अव्यय (particle: indeed/for)

• mārgate: seeks/searches for
• mārgate: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √mṛg/√mārg (मार्ग् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kara-stham: (that which is) in the hand
• kara-stham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kara + stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—करस्थ = कर-स्थ (सप्तमी/तत्पुरुष: 'in the hand'); विशेषण (implied object)

• samutsṛjya: having cast off/abandoned
• samutsṛjya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√utsṛj (उत्सृज् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; उपसर्गः सम्+उत्

• kūrpareṇa: with the elbow
• kūrpareṇa: Karaṇa (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kūrpara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• samācaret: should perform/practise
• samācaret: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√ācṛ (आचर् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः सम्+आ

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Yonyat-tīrtha (at Prācī Sarasvatī, Prabhāsa)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim reaches the east-flowing Sarasvatī, then walks to a marked spot named Yonyat-tīrtha; he sets aside items held in his hand and performs a distinctive elbow-based rite, guided by a priest, with ritual vessels nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī (Prācī)
• Yonyat-tīrtha
• Prabhāsa (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is not only about reaching a place but also about observing its specific, inherited ritual protocols.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prācī Sarasvatī and the associated Yonyat-tīrtha within the Prabhāsa sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A procedural instruction: seek Yonyat-tīrtha after reaching Prācī Sarasvatī, and perform the act using the elbow (kūrpareṇa), setting aside what is held in the hand.