Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

पौषे मासि विशेषेण स्नानं बहुफलप्रदम्

Transliteration

pauṣe māsi viśeṣeṇa snānaṃ bahuphalapradam

Translation

ماہِ پَوش میں خصوصاً غسل کرنا بہت سے روحانی ثمرات عطا کرتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• पौषे: in (the month of) Pauṣa
• पौषे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोग (adverbial instrumental: 'especially')

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• बहुफलप्रदम्: bestowing many fruits/results
• बहुफलप्रदम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु-फल-प्रद (प्रातिपदिक; बहु + फल + प्रद)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्नानस्य); समासः—तत्पुरुष (बहूनि फलानि प्रददाति)

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced; Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa framework)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pauṣa-snāna at Ayodhyā (Sarayū)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/pilgrims (general)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Winter dawn on Sarayū: mist over water, pilgrims wrapped in shawls, stepping into cold river; lamps flicker on ghāṭa; the mood is disciplined and quiet, suggesting ‘bahu-phala’ through sustained practice.

Characters & Entities

• Pauṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seasonal sacred time (kāla) enhances the merit of tīrtha-bathing and dharmic practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ayodhyā and its sacred bathing context within the Ayodhyāmāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (ritual bathing) performed in the month of Pauṣa.