Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 194

Devanagari script

एवं ज्ञात्वा द्रुतं गच्छ तत्र पार्थिवसत्तम । यदीच्छसि परं श्रेय इह लोके परत्र च

Transliteration

evaṃ jñātvā drutaṃ gaccha tatra pārthivasattama | yadīcchasi paraṃ śreya iha loke paratra ca

Translation

فإذا علمتَ هذا فامضِ إلى هناك سريعًا، يا أفضل الملوك، إن كنتَ ترغب في الخير الأسمى في هذه الدنيا وفي الآخرة معًا.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known/understood
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having known’

• द्रुतम्: quickly
• द्रुतम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्रुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः — ‘quickly’

• गच्छ: go
• गच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् — ‘go!’

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

• पार्थिवसत्तम: O best of kings
• पार्थिवसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव-सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; पार्थिव + सत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारय-भावः (‘पार्थिवानां सत्तमः’) — Vocative singular

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तबोधक (conditional particle)

• इच्छसि: you wish
• इच्छसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् — ‘you desire’

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् — Accusative singular (qualifying ‘śreyaḥ’)

• श्रेयः: the highest good
• श्रेयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (रूपम्: श्रेयः); कर्म — Accusative singular neuter

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (here)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — Locative singular

• परत्र: hereafter/in the next world
• परत्र: Adhikarana (Time/Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक अव्यय (in the other world/thereafter)

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

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda (Arbudācala)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārthiva (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage or narrator urges a king to depart swiftly toward the sacred mountain Arbuda, with the mountain’s silhouette and a distant shrine implied.

Characters & Entities

• King (listener, implied)
• Caṇḍikāyatana (contextual)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Promptly turning toward sacred pilgrimage and devotion is presented as the sure path to well-being here and hereafter.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘there’ refers to the Caṇḍikāyatana/Devī-sthāna in the Arbuda-khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A direct injunction to go/undertake pilgrimage to the sacred site for attaining śreyas (highest good).