Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

तत्रावतारं कृत्वा तैर्गृहीतानि बिसानि तु । निक्षिप्य सरसस्तीरे चक्रुः पुण्यां जलक्रियाम्

Transliteration

tatrāvatāraṃ kṛtvā tairgṛhītāni bisāni tu | nikṣipya sarasastīre cakruḥ puṇyāṃ jalakriyām

Translation

ครั้นลงสู่สายน้ำ ณ ที่นั้นแล้ว พวกท่านเก็บก้านบัว (บิสะ) ไว้; วางไว้ที่ฝั่งสระ แล้วประกอบพิธีกรรมแห่งน้ำอันเป็นบุญกุศล

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• अवतारम्: a descent; (here) entering into the water
• अवतारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवतार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त्वा (ल्यप्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (Gerund/Absolutive)

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Kartr-karana (Agent group/instrumental of agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• गृहीतानि: taken, seized
• गृहीतानि: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + क्त (भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्यय (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; बिसानि इत्यस्य विशेषण

• बिसानि: lotus-stalks/fibres
• बिसानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अनुक्रमार्थक अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• निक्षिप्य: having placed/laid down
• निक्षिप्य: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + क्षिप् (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-समकक्ष)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund), पूर्वकाले

• सरसः: of the lake
• सरसः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• तीरे: on the bank
• तीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• चक्रुः: performed/did
• चक्रुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• पुण्याम्: holy, meritorious
• पुण्याम्: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; जलक्रियाम् इत्यस्य विशेषण

• जलक्रियाम्: water-rite (ablution ritual)
• जलक्रियाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + क्रिया (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (saras within the kṣetra)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages waist-deep in clear water, then emerging with lotus-stalks; the bisāni are placed neatly on the bank; hands raised in water-rite gestures—sipping, sprinkling, offering—against a tranquil Prabhāsa shoreline.

Characters & Entities

• Bisāni (lotus-stalks)
• Saras (lake)
• Jalakriyā
• Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha practice combines simple acts (like gathering food) with sanctifying rites, keeping life rooted in purity and discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred lake-bathing spot within Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s tīrtha geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A puṇya jalakriyā (meritorious water-rite) performed on the lake’s bank after bathing.