Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

प्रह्लाद उवाच । गत्वा तु गोमतीतीरे प्रणमेद्दंडवच्च ताम् । प्रक्षाल्य पाणिपादौ च कृत्वा च करयोः कुशान्

Transliteration

prahlāda uvāca | gatvā tu gomatītīre praṇameddaṃḍavacca tām | prakṣālya pāṇipādau ca kṛtvā ca karayoḥ kuśān

Translation

普罗诃罗陀曰：“至戈摩提河岸，当如杖伏地般全身顶礼于她。继而洗净手足，并以双手执持库沙草（kuśa）。”

Word by Word

• प्रह्लादः: Prahlāda
• प्रह्लादः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रह्लाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + त्वा (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having gone)

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधानार्थक-निपात (particle)

• गोमतीतीरे: on the bank of the Gomati
• गोमतीतीरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमती + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• प्रणमेत्: should bow
• प्रणमेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नम् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दण्डवत्: prostrating fully
• दण्डवत्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दण्डवत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (adverb: in the manner of a staff; prostrate)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• ताम्: her/that (river)
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रक्षाल्य: having washed
• प्रक्षाल्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षल् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग) + ल्यप् (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकाल (having washed)

• पाणि: hands
• पाणि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• पादौ: (both) feet
• पादौ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन

• पाणिपादौ: hands and feet
• पाणिपादौ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि + पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• कृत्वा: having placed/made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having done/made)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• करयोः: of (both) hands
• करयोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन

• कुशान्: kuśa grass (blades)
• कुशान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Prahlāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gomatī-tīra (Dvārakā)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-seekers/interlocutors in Dvārakāmāhātmya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Prahlāda instructs pilgrims at the Gomatī bank: devotees lie fully prostrate, then wash hands and feet; kuśa-grass is held ready for the next rite.

Characters & Entities

• Prahlāda
• Gomatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approaching a tīrtha begins with humility (prostration) and purity (washing), expressing reverence to sacred nature as divine.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Gomatī riverbank (Gomatī-tīra) in the Dvārakā sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Daṇḍavat-prostration to Gomatī, washing hands and feet, and holding kuśa-grass as part of the rite.