Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

एषु सन्निहितो नित्यं प्रयागस्तीर्थनायकः । अत्रागत्य नरो यस्तु माघमासे वरानने

Transliteration

eṣu sannihito nityaṃ prayāgastīrthanāyakaḥ | atrāgatya naro yastu māghamāse varānane

Translation

ان تیرتھوں میں پریاگ—تیرتھوں کا نایک—ہمیشہ کے لیے نِتّیہ سَنِّہِت رہتا ہے۔ اے خوش رُو، جو انسان ماہِ ماغھ میں یہاں آتا ہے…

Word by Word

• एषु: in these (places)
• एषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• सन्निहितः: present
• सन्निहितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-नि-धा (धातु) → सन्निहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक एकवचन (adverbial accusative)

• प्रयागः: Prayāga
• प्रयागः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• तीर्थनायकः: leader of sacred fords
• तीर्थनायकः: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ-नायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तीर्थानां नायकः)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb: here)

• आगत्य: having come
• आगत्य: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) → आगत्य (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• तु: indeed
• तु: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधसूचक अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• माघमासे: in the month of Māgha
• माघमासे: Adhikarana (Time-locative/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ-मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (माघस्य मासः)

• वरानने: O fair-faced one
• वरानने: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर-आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic storyteller) addressing Devī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (with Prayāga-sannidhi)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A beloved/fair-faced listener (likely a queen/consort figure within the dialogue frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred coastal kṣetra at Prabhāsa with a luminous, personified Prayāga-tīrtha presiding invisibly; pilgrims arriving in Māgha with waterpots and offerings, dawn light over the sea/river-mouth, temple silhouettes in the distance.

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga
• Tīrthanāyaka
• Māgha-māsa
• Prabhāsa tīrthas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great tīrthas can be mystically present within other sacred sites; timing (Māgha) amplifies pilgrimage fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prabhāsa tīrthas/kuṇḍas are glorified as hosting the perennial presence of Prayāga, the ‘tīrtha-lord’.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Coming/undertaking pilgrimage in Māgha-māsa is highlighted; the verse is incomplete here and likely continues with promised results.