Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

यात्रां कुर्वंति ये भक्त्या मम दर्शनकांक्षिणः । पदे पदेश्वमेधस्य तेषां फलमुदाहृतम्

Transliteration

yātrāṃ kurvaṃti ye bhaktyā mama darśanakāṃkṣiṇaḥ | pade padeśvamedhasya teṣāṃ phalamudāhṛtam

Translation

যারা ভক্তিভাবে আমার দর্শনের আকাঙ্ক্ষায় তীর্থযাত্রা করে, তাদের প্রতি পদে পদে অশ্বমেধ যজ্ঞের ফল প্রাপ্ত হয় বলে ঘোষণা করা হয়েছে।

Word by Word

• यात्राम्: pilgrimage, journey
• यात्राम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• कुर्वन्ति: they do/perform
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• मम: of me, my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दर्शनकाङ्क्षिणः: desiring (my) sight
• दर्शनकाङ्क्षिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक) + काङ्क्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दर्शनस्य काङ्क्षिणः)

• पदे: at (each) step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• पदे: at every step
• पदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (pade pade)

• अश्वमेधस्य: of the Aśvamedha sacrifice
• अश्वमेधस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + मेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः रूढसमास (अश्वमेध)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• फलम्: fruit, result
• फलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उदाहृतम्: has been declared
• उदाहृतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-आ-हृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, भूतकर्मणि/कर्मणि प्रयोग), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘उदाहृत’ = declared/stated

Speaker

Śiva (Śambhu)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Somanātha-yātrā (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Soma/Candra (Niśākara)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A line of pilgrims advances toward the Somanātha shrine; with every footstep, a symbolic aśvamedha altar-flame appears, indicating step-wise sacrificial merit.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Prabhāsa Yātrā
• Darśana
• Aśvamedha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage undertaken for darśana with bhakti is exalted above grand ritual, transforming the journey itself into sacrifice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra pilgrimage culminating in darśana of Śiva (Somnātha).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Yātrā (pilgrimage) with devotional intent; its merit is equated step-by-step with Aśvamedha.