Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्नृपश्रेष्ठ यमतीर्थमनुत्तमम् । मोचकं नरकेभ्यश्च प्राणिनां पापनाशनम्

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca | tato gacchennṛpaśreṣṭha yamatīrthamanuttamam | mocakaṃ narakebhyaśca prāṇināṃ pāpanāśanam

Translation

Pulastya nói: “Sau đó, hỡi bậc vương tối thượng, nên đến Yama Tīrtha vô song—nơi giải thoát chúng sinh khỏi các địa ngục và tiêu trừ tội lỗi của muôn loài hữu tình.”

Word by Word

• pulastyaḥ: Pulastya
• pulastyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pulastya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tataḥ: then; thereafter
• tataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• gacchet: should go
• gacchet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• nṛpaśreṣṭha: O best of kings
• nṛpaśreṣṭha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa-śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक; नृप + श्रेष्ठ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; संबोधनपद

• yamatīrtham: to Yama-tīrtha
• yamatīrtham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama-tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; गच्छेत् इत्यस्य कर्म (object)

• anuttamam: unsurpassed; excellent
• anuttamam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an-uttama (प्रातिपदिक; नञ् + उत्तम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; यमतीर्थम् इत्यस्य विशेषण

• mocakam: liberating; releasing
• mocakam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mocaka (प्रातिपदिक; √muc-ण्वुल्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; यमतीर्थम् इत्यस्य विशेषण

• narakebhyaḥ: from hells
• narakebhyaḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• prāṇinām: of living beings
• prāṇinām: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध-षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन

• pāpanāśanam: destroyer of sins
• pāpanāśanam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa-nāśana (प्रातिपदिक; पाप + नाशन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; यमतीर्थम् इत्यस्य विशेषण

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Yama Tīrtha

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpaśreṣṭha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pulastya directs the king onward to Yama Tīrtha; the path suggests a pilgrimage itinerary. The tīrtha is depicted as solemn yet protective—symbolically guarded, promising release from hellish destinies.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Yama Tīrtha
• Naraka (hells)
• Pāpa (sin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage to a consecrated tīrtha is portrayed as a powerful means of purification and deliverance from dire karmic consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Yama Tīrtha, described as ‘anuttama’ (unsurpassed) and sin-destroying.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A pilgrimage injunction: “one should go” to Yama Tīrtha; specific rites are not detailed in this verse.