Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

फलाकांक्षाप्रवृत्तानि जपयज्ञतपांसि च । सत्यानृतान्वितो लोको द्वापरे सुरसत्तम

Transliteration

phalākāṃkṣāpravṛttāni japayajñatapāṃsi ca | satyānṛtānvito loko dvāpare surasattama

Translation

Im Dvāpara werden Japa, Opfer und Askese in Erwartung von Lohn vollzogen; o Bester der Götter, die Welt ist mit Wahrheit und Unwahrheit vermischt.

Word by Word

• फलाकाङ्क्षा: desire for results
• फलाकाङ्क्षा: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक) + आकाङ्क्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘desire for fruit/result’ (as first member in compound)

• प्रवृत्तानि: undertaken
• प्रवृत्तानि: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र+वृत् (धातु) → प्रवृत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Past participle used adjectivally: ‘engaged/undertaken’ (agreeing with जपयज्ञतपांसि)

• जपयज्ञतपांसि: japa, sacrifices, and austerities
• जपयज्ञतपांसि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक) + यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural (japa, sacrifice, and austerities)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction: ‘and’)

• सत्य: truth
• सत्य: Samahara (Member of compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; first member in द्वन्द्व (truth)

• अनृत: falsehood
• अनृत: Samahara (Member of compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; second member in द्वन्द्व (falsehood)

• अन्वितः: mixed with
• अन्वितः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु+इ (धातु) → अन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘endowed/combined with’ (agreeing with लोकः)

• लोकः: the world/people
• लोकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• द्वापरे: in the Dvāpara age
• द्वापरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular (in Dvāpara)

• सुरसत्तम: O best of gods
• सुरसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative singular (O best of gods)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not stated in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: surasattama (addressed deity; likely a divine interlocutor in the frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic yuga-panel: ascetics chanting japa, priests conducting yajña, and tapasvins in austerity—yet subtle visual cues of desire (offerings, rewards, royal patronage) and a background crowd showing mixed truth and falsehood.

Characters & Entities

• Dvāpara-yuga
• Japa
• Yajña
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Practice can be weakened by fruit-seeking; purity of intention matters as much as the act.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the verse offers a yuga-wise ethical diagnosis.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa, yajña, and tapas are mentioned, with a caution that they are often performed for desired results in Dvāpara.