Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

यदि वस्त्रापथे गत्वा शिरः कश्चिद्विमुंचति । स्वर्णरेखाजले राजन्मानुषं स्यान्मुखं मम

Transliteration

yadi vastrāpathe gatvā śiraḥ kaścidvimuṃcati | svarṇarekhājale rājanmānuṣaṃ syānmukhaṃ mama

Translation

ข้าแต่พระราชา หากผู้ใดไปยังวัสตราปถะแล้วถวายศีรษะบูชาที่นั่น ครั้นถึงสายน้ำสวรรณะเรขา พระพักตร์ของข้าจักปรากฏเป็นพักตร์มนุษย์

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional particle)

• वस्त्रापथे: in/at Vastrāpatha
• वस्त्रापथे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्र-अपथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘वस्त्राणां अपथः/वस्त्रापथः’ (place named Vastrāpatha)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive) — ‘having gone’

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• कश्चित्: someone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• विमुञ्चति: releases/lets go
• विमुञ्चति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• स्वर्णरेखाजले: in the water of Svarṇarekhā
• स्वर्णरेखाजले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ण-रेखा-जल (प्रातिपदिक; स्वर्ण + रेखा + जल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘स्वर्णरेखायाः जलम्’ (in the water of Svarṇarekhā)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• मानुषम्: human
• मानुषम्: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण—(agreeing with मुखम्)

• स्यात्: would be / may become
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मुखम्: face
• मुखम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

A female figure with a non-human/afflicted appearance (clarified in the next verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha Mahātīrtha (on Svarṇarekhā)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (rājan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king is told of a wondrous rule: if one goes to Vastrāpatha and 'releases/offers a head', then in Svarṇarekhā waters a face becomes human—hinting at a curse-lifting transformation tied to the river and Śiva’s presence.

Characters & Entities

• Vastrāpatha
• Svarṇarekhā-jala
• rājan

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tirtha-space and tirtha-water are portrayed as agents of purification and restoration, capable of reversing afflicted conditions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha is named directly, along with the sacred waters called Svarṇarekhā-jala.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A cryptic act is indicated—‘releasing/offering a head’ at Vastrāpatha—linked to a transformative result in Svarṇarekhā waters.