Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

प्राचीं सरस्वतीं प्राप्य योन्यत्तीर्थं हि मार्गते । स करस्थं समुत्सृज्य कूर्परेण समाचरेत्

Transliteration

prācīṃ sarasvatīṃ prāpya yonyattīrthaṃ hi mārgate | sa karasthaṃ samutsṛjya kūrpareṇa samācaret

Translation

پرَچی سرسوتی تک پہنچ کر یونیَت تیرتھ کی تلاش کرنی چاہیے؛ اور وہاں ہاتھ میں تھامی ہوئی چیز کو چھوڑ کر، کہنی (کُورپر) کے طریقے سے رسم ادا کرے۔

Word by Word

• prācīm: Prācī (river/stream)
• prācīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prācī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• sarasvatīm: Sarasvatī
• sarasvatīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarasvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• prāpya: having reached
• prāpya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √prāp (प्राप् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; अर्थः—प्राप्य = having reached

• yonyat-tīrtham: the Yonyat ford/sacred bathing-place
• yonyat-tīrtham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yonyat + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—yonyat + tīrtha (विशेषण-विशेष्य/तत्पुरुष)

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/हेतु-अव्यय (particle: indeed/for)

• mārgate: seeks/searches for
• mārgate: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √mṛg/√mārg (मार्ग् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kara-stham: (that which is) in the hand
• kara-stham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kara + stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—करस्थ = कर-स्थ (सप्तमी/तत्पुरुष: 'in the hand'); विशेषण (implied object)

• samutsṛjya: having cast off/abandoned
• samutsṛjya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Prior action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√utsṛj (उत्सृज् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; उपसर्गः सम्+उत्

• kūrpareṇa: with the elbow
• kūrpareṇa: Karaṇa (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kūrpara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• samācaret: should perform/practise
• samācaret: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√ācṛ (आचर् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः सम्+आ

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Yonyat-tīrtha (at Prācī Sarasvatī, Prabhāsa)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim reaches the east-flowing Sarasvatī, then walks to a marked spot named Yonyat-tīrtha; he sets aside items held in his hand and performs a distinctive elbow-based rite, guided by a priest, with ritual vessels nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī (Prācī)
• Yonyat-tīrtha
• Prabhāsa (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is not only about reaching a place but also about observing its specific, inherited ritual protocols.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prācī Sarasvatī and the associated Yonyat-tīrtha within the Prabhāsa sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A procedural instruction: seek Yonyat-tīrtha after reaching Prācī Sarasvatī, and perform the act using the elbow (kūrpareṇa), setting aside what is held in the hand.