Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

मानसे ब्रह्मपद्मं तु दृष्ट्वा स्नात्वा कदा वयम् । प्राप्स्यामः परमं ब्रह्म यद्गत्वा न पुनर्भवेत्

Transliteration

mānase brahmapadmaṃ tu dṛṣṭvā snātvā kadā vayam | prāpsyāmaḥ paramaṃ brahma yadgatvā na punarbhavet

Translation

เมื่อใดหนอ เราจักได้เห็นดอกบัวพรหม ณ มานสะ ได้อาบน้ำชำระที่นั่น แล้วบรรลุพรหมันอันสูงสุด—ซึ่งเมื่อไปถึงแล้ว ย่อมไม่กลับมาเกิดอีก

Word by Word

• मानसे: in (the lake) Mānasa
• मानसे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मपद्मम्: the Brahma-lotus
• ब्रह्मपद्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + पद्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (brahmaṇaḥ padmam)

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-निपात (particle)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• कदा: when?
• कदा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb of time)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• प्राप्स्यामः: will attain
• प्राप्स्यामः: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√आप् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/लृट्), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), बहुवचन

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• ब्रह्म: Brahman
• ब्रह्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• गत्वा: having gone (to)
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb)

• भवेत्: would be / would occur
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha (expressing the aspiration shared even by the gods/saints in context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mānasa (Mānasa-sarovar)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (and by extension the audience of the māhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary scene of Mānasa-sarovar: crystal-blue waters beneath snow peaks, a radiant Brahma-lotus floating at the center; pilgrims/sages yearn to behold it, bathe, and dissolve into the Supreme Brahman beyond rebirth.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Mānasa
• Brahmapadma
• Parama Brahma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana and snāna at a sanctified tīrtha are portrayed as catalysts for mokṣa—freedom from rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mānasa (Mānasa-tīrtha) and the Brahmapadma associated with it in Prabhāsakṣetra tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana of Brahmapadma followed by snāna (ritual bathing) at Mānasa.