Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

त्रिस्पृशां द्वादशीं प्राप्य गत्वा कृष्णपुरीं नरः । यः करोति हरेर्भक्त्या सोऽश्वमेधफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

trispṛśāṃ dvādaśīṃ prāpya gatvā kṛṣṇapurīṃ naraḥ | yaḥ karoti harerbhaktyā so'śvamedhaphalaṃ labhet

Translation

得遇“三触十二日”(Trispṛśā Dvādaśī)而前往黑天之城（Kṛṣṇa-purī）者，若以虔信（bhakti）礼敬哈利（Hari），便得阿湿婆梅陀（Aśvamedha）大祭之果报。

Word by Word

• त्रिस्पृशाम्: of the Trispṛśā (tithi)
• त्रिस्पृशाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिस्पृशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• द्वादशीम्: the Dvādaśī (12th lunar day)
• द्वादशीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्राप्य: having obtained/reached
• प्राप्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √प्राप् (धातु) + ल्यप् (Kṛdanta/Absolutive)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (prior action)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + क्त्वा (Kṛdanta/Absolutive)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (prior action)

• कृष्णपुरीम्: to Kṛṣṇa’s city (Dvārikā)
• कृष्णपुरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + पुरी (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कृष्णस्य पुरी)

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

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

• करोति: does/performs
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• हरेः: of Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अश्वमेधफलम्: the fruit of the Aśvamedha sacrifice
• अश्वमेधफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध + फल (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अश्वमेधस्य फलम्)

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (Kṛṣṇapurī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee arriving in Dwārakā on Trispṛśā Dvādaśī, offering tulasī and lamps to Hari; in the background, a symbolic Aśvamedha horse and sacrificial paraphernalia appear faintly, indicating ‘equivalent fruit’ without literal sacrifice.

Characters & Entities

• Trispṛśā Dvādaśī
• Kṛṣṇa-purī (Dwārakā)
• Hari
• Aśvamedha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship to Hari at the right sacred time and place can yield merits traditionally associated with grand Vedic sacrifices.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kṛṣṇa-purī, i.e., Dwārakā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

On Trispṛśā Dvādaśī, go to Dwārakā and perform worship/observance with devotion to Hari.