Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । हिरण्यं मस्तके दत्त्वा यः स्नाति ऋणमोचने । आत्मा वै तारितस्तेन दत्तं भवति गोशतम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | hiraṇyaṃ mastake dattvā yaḥ snāti ṛṇamocane | ātmā vai tāritastena dattaṃ bhavati gośatam

Translation

อีศวรตรัสว่า: ผู้ใดวางทองไว้บนศีรษะแล้วอาบน้ำ ณ ฤณโมจนะ ผู้นั้นย่อมได้รับการข้ามพ้นด้วยตนเอง และการกระทำนั้นเสมอด้วยการถวายทานโคหนึ่งร้อยตัว

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• हिरण्यम्: gold
• हिरण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्

• मस्तके: on the head
• मस्तके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मस्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), एकवचनम्

• दत्त्वा: having given/placed
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तः (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• स्नाति: bathes
• स्नाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• ऋणमोचने: at/in Ṛṇamocana (the place of debt-release)
• ऋणमोचने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋण + मोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ऋणस्य मोचनम्)

• आत्मा: the self
• आत्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्

• वै: indeed
• वै: Discourse particle (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (निपात)
• Form: निपातः (emphatic particle)

• तारितः: saved; delivered
• तारितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रियाविशेषण-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु) + णिच्? (तारयति) + क्त
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘आत्मा’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• दत्तम्: is considered given
• दत्तम्: Kriya (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + क्त
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘गोशतम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• भवति: becomes; is
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• गोशतम्: a hundred cows
• गोशतम्: Karma (Predicate nominative/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्; द्विगु-समासः (शतं गावः)

Speaker

Īśvara/Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Ṛṇamocana (tīrtha)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/interlocutors in the Prabhāsa māhātmya narrative

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands in the sacred water with a small piece of gold placed atop the head, attendants nearby; the scene emphasizes ritual precision and the invisible weighing of merit equal to a hundred cows.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Ṛṇamocana
• Hiraṇya
• Gośata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When charity and pilgrimage are joined, the rite gains amplified merit and becomes a means of inner deliverance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ṛṇamocana tīrtha within Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at Ṛṇamocana after placing/offer-consecrating hiraṇya (gold), with merit compared to go-dāna of one hundred cows.