Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

किं व्रतैर्नियमैर्वापि दानैर्दत्ते नराधिप । सर्वे तद्दर्शनस्यापि कलां नार्हंति षोडशीम्

Transliteration

kiṃ vratairniyamairvāpi dānairdatte narādhipa | sarve taddarśanasyāpi kalāṃ nārhaṃti ṣoḍaśīm

Translation

O Herr der Menschen, wozu Gelübde, Regeln oder gar Gaben und Almosen? All dies reicht nicht einmal an ein Sechzehntel des Verdienstes jener Schau der Göttin heran.

Word by Word

• किम्: what (use)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रश्नार्थक-नपुंसक (interrogative particle: “what use?”)

• व्रतैः: by vows
• व्रतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• नियमैः: by observances
• नियमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive: or)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-कार (even/also)

• दानैः: by gifts
• दानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• दत्ते: you give
• दत्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नराधिप: O king
• नराधिप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (“lord of men”)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• तत्-दर्शनस्य: of that sight (of her)
• तत्-दर्शनस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (“of seeing that/her”)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-कार (even)

• कलाम्: a fraction/part
• कलाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation: not)

• अर्हन्ति: are worthy of / equal
• अर्हन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• षोडशीम्: the sixteenth (part)
• षोडशीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षोडशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-तिथिवाचक/कलावाचक (the sixteenth part)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda Devī-darśana

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King Yayāti (narādhipa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene: the sage addresses the king, emphasizing that vows, restraints, and gifts are only a fraction compared to Devī’s darśana; Devī’s shrine glows in the background as the true focus.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Narādhipa (King)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Direct encounter with the Divine (darśana) surpasses even extensive ritual austerities when performed with faith.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Devī’s darśana-site in Arbuda Khaṇḍa, where seeing her is declared supremely meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implicit prioritization: seek Devī-darśana; other practices (vrata, niyama, dāna) are secondary in comparison here.