Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

न निवर्तति यत्प्राप्य दुष्प्राप्यं त्रिदशैरपि । प्रभासं प्रथमं तीर्थं त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम्

Transliteration

na nivartati yatprāpya duṣprāpyaṃ tridaśairapi | prabhāsaṃ prathamaṃ tīrthaṃ triṣu lokeṣu viśrutam

Translation

من بلغه لا يعود إلى القيد؛ فهو عسير المنال حتى على الآلهة. «برابهاسا» هو التيرثا (tīrtha) الأوّل، المشهور في العوالم الثلاثة.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation particle)

• निवर्तति: returns
• निवर्तति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• यत्: which (that)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (relative)

• प्राप्य: having attained
• प्राप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) → प्राप्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा/ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• दुष्प्राप्यम्: hard to attain
• दुष्प्राप्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुस् + प्राप्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—दुष्करं प्राप्यम् (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रयोग)

• त्रिदशैः: by the gods (thirty-three)
• त्रिदशैः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—त्रयः दश (नामरूढ; देवाः)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle; even/also)

• प्रभासम्: Prabhāsa (tīrtha)
• प्रभासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रथमम्: first; foremost
• प्रथमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; तीर्थम् इति विशेषणम्

• तीर्थम्: pilgrimage place; sacred ford
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• त्रिषु: in the three
• त्रिषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन

• लोकेषु: worlds
• लोकेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन

• विश्रुतम्: renowned; celebrated
• विश्रुतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + श्रु (धातु) → विश्रुत (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from section flow; Devī’s questions begin at v.11)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand coastal Śiva-kṣetra with a towering temple silhouette and radiant aura; devas in the sky gaze down in longing, while pilgrims step through a threshold marked ‘Prabhāsa—foremost tīrtha’, suggesting ‘non-return’ liberation.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• tridaśa (devas)
• three worlds (trailokya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa elevates Prabhāsa as a liberating pilgrimage: reaching it is depicted as leading beyond return to worldly bondage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa tīrtha (Prabhāsa-kṣetra), hailed as the foremost among tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated; the emphasis is on attaining/visiting Prabhāsa itself.