Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

एतत्पंचविधं पुंसां पंचधाऽवस्थिता सती । नाशयेत्पातकं घोरं सखीभिः सहिता नदी

Transliteration

etatpaṃcavidhaṃ puṃsāṃ paṃcadhā'vasthitā satī | nāśayetpātakaṃ ghoraṃ sakhībhiḥ sahitā nadī

Translation

آدمیوں کے گناہوں کا یہ پانچ گونہ مجموعہ—وہ ندی پانچ صورتوں میں قائم ہو کر—اپنی سہیلیوں (پانچ دھاراؤں) کے ساتھ مل کر ہولناک پاتک کو مٹا دیتی ہے۔

Word by Word

• एतत्-पञ्च-विधम्: this fivefold (set)
• एतत्-पञ्च-विधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पञ्च (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः (etat + pañca + vidha = of five kinds)

• पुंसाम्: of men
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस्/पुम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• पञ्चधा: in five ways
• पञ्चधा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पञ्चधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb; manner)

• अवस्थितā: situated/standing
• अवस्थितā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव-स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय) → अवस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक (past passive participle: 'having been situated/standing')

• सती: being
• सती: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस् (धातु) + शतृ (प्रत्यय) → सत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले (present participle: 'being')

• नाशयेत्: may destroy
• नाशयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नाशय् (धातु; णिजन्त causative of नश्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पातकम्: sin
• पातकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• घोरम्: terrible
• घोरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; पातकम्-विशेषण

• सखीभिः: with (her) companions (female friends)
• सखीभिः: Karana/Sahakari (Instrument/Associate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सहिता: accompanied
• सहिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सह (उपसर्ग) + इ (धातु) + क्त → सहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (accompanied)

• नदी: the river
• नदी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced for Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa Sarasvatī (fivefold manifestation with companion streams)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred river in Prabhāsa shown as a goddess with five luminous aspects, attended by five companion streams; pilgrims stand at confluences performing ācamana and snāna while sins dissolve as dark vapors.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī (Pañcasrotā)
• Pātaka (sin)
• Five streams (companions)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas embody divine grace: when approached with sincerity, sacred waters support prāyaścitta by dissolving even heavy moral defilements.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Sarasvatī’s Pañcasrotā at Prabhāsa Kṣetra, praised as a powerful purifier.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied tīrtha-sevā through contact with the river—especially bathing/immersion—since the Pañcasrotā is said to destroy sins.