Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्नृपश्रेष्ठ वसिष्ठं तपसां निधिम् । यं दृष्ट्वा मानवः सम्यक्कृतार्थत्वमवाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca | tato gacchennṛpaśreṣṭha vasiṣṭhaṃ tapasāṃ nidhim | yaṃ dṛṣṭvā mānavaḥ samyakkṛtārthatvamavāpnuyāt

Translation

Pulastya sprach: „Dann, o Bester der Könige, soll man zu Vasiṣṭha gehen, einer Schatzkammer der Askese. Wer ihn erblickt, erlangt wahrhaft die Erfüllung seines Zieles.“

Word by Word

• पुलस्त्यः: Pulastya
• पुलस्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Kāla-krama (Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अनन्तरवाचक (then/thereafter)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्रेष्ठः नृपः)

• वसिष्ठम्: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तपसाम्: of austerities
• तपसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• निधिम्: treasure; repository
• निधिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; वसिष्ठम् इति विशेषण-सम्बन्ध (appositional)

• यम्: whom
• यम्: Karma (Object of dṛṣṭvā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): having seen

• मानवः: a man; human
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सम्यक्: properly; completely
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• कृतार्थत्वम्: fulfillment; having achieved one’s purpose
• कृतार्थत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतार्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भाववाचक-त्व प्रत्ययान्त (state of being fulfilled)

• अवाप्नुयात्: would attain
• अवाप्नुयात्: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vasiṣṭha (āśrama/tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpaśreṣṭha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pulastya instructs a king; the king and retinue approach Vasiṣṭha’s tranquil hermitage with sacred fires, deer, and students; Vasiṣṭha sits radiant with ascetic power.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Vasiṣṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana of realized sages is itself a purifier and a life-fulfilling spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The locale associated with Sage Vasiṣṭha in Arbuda Khaṇḍa, introduced as a key stop in the tīrtha circuit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A yātrā instruction: go to Vasiṣṭha for darśana (reverent visitation).