Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

अत्र गाथा पुरा गीता ब्रह्मणा लोककर्तृणा । विष्णुकुण्डे नरः स्नात्वा यो वै माधवमर्चयेत् । स यास्यति परं स्थानं यत्र देवो हरिः स्वयम्

Transliteration

atra gāthā purā gītā brahmaṇā lokakartṛṇā | viṣṇukuṇḍe naraḥ snātvā yo vai mādhavamarcayet | sa yāsyati paraṃ sthānaṃ yatra devo hariḥ svayam

Translation

ณ ที่นี้ ครั้งก่อนได้มีคาถาที่พระพรหม ผู้สร้างโลก ขับขานไว้ว่า: ผู้ใดอาบสนาน ณ วิษณุกุณฑะ แล้วบูชาพระมาธวะโดยแท้ ผู้นั้นย่อมไปสู่แดนสูงสุด ที่ซึ่งพระหริผู้เป็นเจ้า ประทับอยู่ด้วยพระองค์เอง

Word by Word

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• गाथा: a verse, gāthā
• गाथा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (time-adverb)

• गीता: sung/uttered
• गीता: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गै (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) / गीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; ‘गाथा’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन

• लोककर्तृणा: by the creator of the worlds
• लोककर्तृणा: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक-कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन; ‘ब्रह्मणा’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• विष्णुकुण्डे: in/at Viṣṇu-kuṇḍa
• विष्णुकुण्डे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु-कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (Adverbial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वकाल

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक/अवधारण (indeed)

• माधवम्: Mādhava (Viṣṇu)
• माधवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माधव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• यास्यति: will go/attain
• यास्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• परम्: highest
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; ‘स्थानम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• स्थानम्: abode
• स्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक सम्बन्धबोधक (relative locative adverb)

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• हरिः: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; ‘देवः’ इत्यस्य समानाधिकरणम्

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मवाचक (reflexive/emphatic)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) quoting Brahmā’s earlier gāthā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viṣṇukuṇḍa

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Viṣṇukuṇḍa, a devotee steps into sacred waters at dawn; Brahmā is envisioned above, singing an ancient gāthā; after bathing, the devotee proceeds to Mādhava’s shrine for worship.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇukuṇḍa
• Mādhava
• Hari

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-snānā combined with deity-worship is presented as a direct path to the highest divine realm.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Viṣṇukuṇḍa, along with the Mādhava shrine within Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing (snāna) in Viṣṇukuṇḍa and then worshipping (arcana) Mādhava.