Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच । अग्नितीर्थं ततो गच्छेत्पावनं परमं नृणाम् । तत्र वह्निः पुरा नष्टो लब्धश्च त्रिदशैरपि

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca | agnitīrthaṃ tato gacchetpāvanaṃ paramaṃ nṛṇām | tatra vahniḥ purā naṣṭo labdhaśca tridaśairapi

Translation

پُلستیہ نے فرمایا: پھر انسانوں کے لیے سب سے بڑا پاک کرنے والا اگنی تیرتھ جانا چاہیے۔ وہاں قدیم زمانے میں وَہنی (آگ) گم ہو گئی تھی، اور وہیں اسے دیوتاؤں نے بھی دوبارہ پا لیا۔

Word by Word

• पुलस्त्यः: Pulastya
• पुलस्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अग्नितीर्थम्: Agni-tīrtha
• अग्नितीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—अग्नेः तीर्थम् (Agni’s ford/sacred bathing-place)

• ततः: then/from there
• ततः: Apadana/Adverbial (Source/sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/अनन्तरार्थक अव्यय (then/from there)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पावनम्: purifying
• पावनम्: Visheshana (Adjectival to कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Adjectival to कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

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

• वह्निः: fire (Agni)
• वह्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb: formerly)

• नष्टः: vanished
• नष्टः: Kriya (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √नश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘lost/vanished’

• लब्धः: found
• लब्धः: Kriya (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘found/obtained’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• त्रिदशैः: by the gods
• त्रिदशैः: Kartr (Agent in passive sense/कर्ता-करणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक अव्यय (also/even)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Agni-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (King) Yayāti

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pulastya points the pilgrim onward to Agni-tīrtha; in the background a luminous fire-altar motif and a coastal/riverine ford; devas searching and then beholding Agni reappearing as a radiant flame.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Agni (Vahni)
• Tridaśa (Devas)
• Yayāti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Agni-tīrtha is proclaimed as a supreme purifier, and its sanctity is validated by a divine episode involving Agni himself.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Agni-tīrtha (the sacred ford associated with Agni/Vahni) within the Arbuda Khaṇḍa of Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A tīrtha-visit is prescribed: “one should go” to Agni-tīrtha; the implied practice is pilgrimage and purification.