Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

तपस्तप्यन्ति मुनयः कृच्छ्रचान्द्रायणादिकम् । गत्वा प्राभासिकं क्षेत्रं लोकाश्चान्ये कृते युगे

Transliteration

tapastapyanti munayaḥ kṛcchracāndrāyaṇādikam | gatvā prābhāsikaṃ kṣetraṃ lokāścānye kṛte yuge

Translation

কৃতযুগে মুনিগণ কৃচ্ছ্র-চান্দ্রায়ণাদি ব্রতসহ কঠোর তপ করেন; আর অন্যান্য লোকেরাও প্রাভাস-ক্ষেত্রে গিয়ে তদ্রূপ তপস্যা আচার করে।

Word by Word

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• तप्यन्ति: perform austerity, practice penance
• तप्यन्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• मुनयः: sages
• मुनयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• कृच्छ्रचान्द्रायणादिकम्: (penances) such as Kṛcchra and Cāndrāyaṇa, etc.
• कृच्छ्रचान्द्रायणादिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक) + चान्द्रायण (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (कृच्छ्रं च चान्द्रायणं च, तदादि)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• प्राभासिकम्: Prābhāsika (of Prabhāsa)
• प्राभासिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राभासिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; क्षेत्रम् इति विशेषण

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred place/field
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• लोकाः: worlds/people
• लोकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

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

• अन्ये: other
• अन्ये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; लोकाः इति विशेषण

• कृते: in Kṛta (age)
• कृते: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन (युगे इति सह)

• युगे: in the age
• युगे: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narrative style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages with matted hair and bark garments arrive at Prabhāsa’s shore/temple precinct and begin Kṛcchra and Cāndrāyaṇa observances—measured meals, lunar-diet symbolism, and meditative austerity.

Characters & Entities

• Munis
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Kṛta Yuga
• Kṛcchra
• Cāndrāyaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In earlier yugas, rigorous tapas and strict vows were central means of dharma, especially when undertaken in a sanctified tīrtha like Prabhāsa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prābhāsika kṣetra—Prabhāsa, the famed sacred region on the western seacoast of Bhārata.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of penitential vows such as Kṛcchra and Cāndrāyaṇa as forms of tapas.