Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

गुरोरभावे तत्पुत्रं तद्भार्यां तत्सुतं विना । पुत्रं प्रपौत्रं दौहित्रं ह्यन्यं वा तत्कुलोद्भवम्

Transliteration

gurorabhāve tatputraṃ tadbhāryāṃ tatsutaṃ vinā | putraṃ prapautraṃ dauhitraṃ hyanyaṃ vā tatkulodbhavam

Translation

إذا غاب الغورو، فليُقْصَد ابنُه—مع استثناء زوجة الغورو وطفله الصغير—أو ابنُ الابن، أو ابنُ البنت، أو أيُّ مولودٍ آخر من تلك السلالة.

Word by Word

• गुरोः: of the guru
• गुरोः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive singular)

• अभावे: in the absence
• अभावे: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular)

• तत्पुत्रम्: his son
• तत्पुत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तस्य पुत्रः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• तद्भार्याम्: his wife
• तद्भार्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् + भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तस्य भार्या); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• तत्सुतम्: his son (offspring)
• तत्सुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् + सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तस्य सुतः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• विना: without; except
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपपद-अव्यय (preposition-like: without; governs accusative)

• पुत्रम्: son
• पुत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• प्रपौत्रम्: great-grandson
• प्रपौत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रपौत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• दौहित्रम्: daughter's son (grandson)
• दौहित्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दौहित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: indeed/for)

• अन्यम्: another
• अन्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प (disjunctive particle: or)

• तत्कुलोद्भवम्: one born in his family/lineage
• तत्कुलोद्भवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् + कुल + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तस्य कुलात् उद्भवः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya didactic narration context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim seeks the absent guru; elders indicate the guru’s grown son/grandson as the proper person to approach. A family lineage tree motif or sequential figures suggests paramparā continuity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence to the guru extends to appropriate representatives in his lineage when the guru is unavailable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the narrative frame; the verse itself teaches dharma to be practiced by pilgrims and householders.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implies whom to approach/honor (and potentially offer dāna to) in the guru’s absence, prioritizing lineage.