Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

विश्वामित्रेण चाहूता स्नानार्थं वरवर्णिनि । तत्र स्नात्वा महादेवि मुच्यते सर्वपातकैः

Transliteration

viśvāmitreṇa cāhūtā snānārthaṃ varavarṇini | tatra snātvā mahādevi mucyate sarvapātakaiḥ

Translation

噢，肤色莹美的女神，恒河女神为沐浴之故被毗湿瓦密多召请而来。噢，大女神，凡在彼处沐浴者，皆得解脱一切罪垢。

Word by Word

• विश्वामित्रेण: by Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रेण: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• आहूता: was invoked/called
• आहूता: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + हु (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग-सूचक

• स्नानार्थम्: for bathing
• स्नानार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्नान + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-एकवचन-रूपेण प्रयुक्तं प्रयोजन-अव्यय (accusative of purpose)

• वरवर्णिनि: O fair-complexioned one
• वरवर्णिनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरवर्णिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; वर-वर्णिनी = 'श्रेष्ठवर्णा'

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; महा-देवी = 'महती देवी'

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

• सर्वपातकैः: from all sins
• सर्वपातकैः: Apadana (Separation in passive/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (पातक), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; 'सर्वपातक' = 'सर्वाणि पातकानि'

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pātālagāminī Gaṅgā (Viśvāmitra-āhūtā)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśvāmitra stands in austere tapas posture, invoking Gaṅgā; the river-goddess rises in a shimmering stream; pilgrims bathe at the ghāṭa while a radiant aura washes away dark stains symbolizing pātakas.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Gaṅgā
• Devī
• Prabhāsa Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-snān (ritual bathing at a sanctified site) is upheld as a dharmic practice capable of cleansing even comprehensive sin (sarva-pātaka).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The bathing place of Pātāla Gaṅgā in Prabhāsa Kṣetra, associated with Viśvāmitra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at that spot is explicitly prescribed as sin-destroying.