Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

स्नात्वा संनिहिताकुंडे योऽर्चयेत्पांडवेश्वरम् । माघे मासि समग्रे तु स साक्षात्पुरुषोत्तमः

Transliteration

snātvā saṃnihitākuṃḍe yo'rcayetpāṃḍaveśvaram | māghe māsi samagre tu sa sākṣātpuruṣottamaḥ

Translation

凡于三尼希塔圣池（Saṃnihitā-kuṇḍa）沐浴，继而礼敬般陀婆伊湿伐罗（Pāṇḍaveśvara）者，尤以摩伽月（Māgha）整月修持为胜，便如亲证般得至上人格——普鲁绍塔玛（Puruṣottama）之显然加被。

Word by Word

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया (having bathed)

• संनिहिताकुण्डे: in the Saṃnihita pond
• संनिहिताकुण्डे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संनिहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √धा/√धा? here ‘सं-नि-√धा’ in sense ‘placed/located’) + कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (relative pronoun, nominative singular)

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person singular; ‘should worship’)

• पाण्डवेश्वरम्: Pāṇḍaveśvara (Lord of the Pāṇḍavas)
• पाण्डवेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• माघे: in (the month of) Māgha
• माघे: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular)

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular)

• समग्रे: complete, entire
• समग्रे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular; agreeing with मासि)

• तु: indeed, then/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• साक्षात्: directly, in person
• साक्षात्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण/निपात (indeed, directly)

• पुरुषोत्तमः: the Supreme Person (Puruṣottama)
• पुरुषोत्तमः: Pratipadyamāna (Predicate nominative/विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nominative singular)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (continuation within Adhyāya 86)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Saṃnihitā-kuṇḍa

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims bathe at Saṃnihitā-kuṇḍa at dawn in Māgha; mist rises from the water; after snāna they proceed with wet hair and clean cloth to worship the Pāṇḍaveśvara liṅga with lamps and bilva, radiance suggesting Puruṣottama’s grace.

Characters & Entities

• Saṃnihitā-kuṇḍa
• Pāṇḍaveśvara
• Māgha-māsa
• Puruṣottama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Combining tīrtha-snāna with devoted worship, especially in Māgha, is presented as a powerful dharmic practice that elevates the devotee spiritually.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Saṃnihitā-kuṇḍa at Prabhāsa Kṣetra, along with the shrine of Pāṇḍaveśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bathing (snāna) in Saṃnihitā-kuṇḍa and worship (arcana) of Pāṇḍaveśvara during the month of Māgha, ideally for the whole month.