Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

एकस्तु भृगुपातेन याति मृत्युं निशाकर । अन्यः पश्यति मामत्र समं ताभ्यां फलं स्मृतम्

Transliteration

ekastu bhṛgupātena yāti mṛtyuṃ niśākara | anyaḥ paśyati māmatra samaṃ tābhyāṃ phalaṃ smṛtam

Translation

يا مُتَوَّجَ القمر، إنَّ واحدًا يَلقى الموتَ بـ«سقوطِ بهْرِغو»؛ وآخرَ يَراني هاهنا—وقد قيل إنَّ الثمرةَ لهما متساويةٌ.

Word by Word

• ekaḥ: one (person)
• ekaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha/Avadhāraṇa (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• bhṛgupātena: by the fall (from) Bhṛgu (cliff)
• bhṛgupātena: Karaṇa/Hetu (Means/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhṛgu + pāta (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (bhṛgoḥ pātaḥ)

• yāti: goes, meets
• yāti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• mṛtyum: death
• mṛtyum: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• niśākara: O moon (maker of night)
• niśākara: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niśā + kara (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (niśāyāḥ karaḥ)

• anyaḥ: another (person)
• anyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• paśyati: sees
• paśyati: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paś (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• samam: equal
• samam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying) phalam

• tābhyām: by/for those two
• tābhyām: Karaṇa/Hetu (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), द्विवचन (Dual)

• phalam: result
• phalam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• smṛtam: is said
• smṛtam: Kriyā (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त-प्रत्यय); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (with Bhṛgu-pāta motif)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed to 'Niśākara' (Moon-crested; epithet of Śiva) within the verse’s vocative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Foreground: a devotee peacefully taking darśana at Prabhāsa; background vignette: a dramatic cliff/precipice labeled Bhṛgu-pāta with a figure falling, contrasted with the calm temple scene—showing equal fruit through divine grace.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• Prabhāsakṣetra
• Bhṛgu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even extraordinary, severe acts associated with tīrtha-tradition are equated to the saving power of darśana at Prabhāsa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where seeing the deity ‘here’ is exalted.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhṛgu-pāta—an extreme rite involving a fatal fall/leap associated with Bhṛgu—is referenced as a comparator.