Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

एकः प्रायोपवेशेन प्राणांस्त्यजति मानवः । पश्यत्यन्यो हृषीकेशं चातुर्मास्यं समाहितः

Transliteration

ekaḥ prāyopaveśena prāṇāṃstyajati mānavaḥ | paśyatyanyo hṛṣīkeśaṃ cāturmāsyaṃ samāhitaḥ

Translation

Einer gibt sein Leben durch prāyopaveśa (das Gelübde, bis zum Tod zu fasten) auf; ein anderer aber, in sich gesammelt, schaut Hṛṣīkeśa während des Cāturmāsya—dies wird als höherer geistlicher Gewinn gerühmt.

Word by Word

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

• prāyopaveśena: by fasting unto death (prāyopaveśa)
• prāyopaveśena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāya-upaveśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—प्राय (मरण-समये) + उपवेश (उपवेशन/उपवेशः)

• prāṇān: life-breaths, vital airs
• prāṇān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• tyajati: abandons
• tyajati: Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tyaj (त्यज् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• mānavaḥ: a man, human
• mānavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ekaḥ इत्यस्य समानाधिकरणम्

• paśyati: sees
• paśyati: Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

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

• hṛṣīkeśam: Hṛṣīkeśa
• hṛṣīkeśam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛṣīkeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• cāturmāsyam: the four-month period
• cāturmāsyam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (काल/अवधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāturmāsya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• samāhitaḥ: concentrated
• samāhitaḥ: Karta-guṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-dhā (सम्+आ+धा धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (अन्यः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hṛṣīkeśa-darśana (Cāturmāsya)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contrast tableau: on one side an ascetic undertaking prāyopaveśa (emaciated, seated in vow), on the other a serene devotee with folded hands beholding Hṛṣīkeśa during the rainy-season Cāturmāsya; the deity radiates calm sovereignty over the senses.

Characters & Entities

• Prāyopaveśa
• Hṛṣīkeśa
• Cāturmāsya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerities that end life are not the highest ideal; the highest is steadfast devotion culminating in divine darśana.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named location in this verse; the focus is the sacred Cāturmāsya period and Hṛṣīkeśa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prāyopaveśa (fasting unto death) is referenced as an extreme vow, contrasted with Cāturmāsya-centered worship and contemplation.