Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 122

Devanagari script

तस्मान्मूलं परित्यज्य शाखां नैवार्चयेद्बुधः । विशेषेण जगन्नाथं त्रैलोक्याधिपतिं हरिम्

Transliteration

tasmānmūlaṃ parityajya śākhāṃ naivārcayedbudhaḥ | viśeṣeṇa jagannāthaṃ trailokyādhipatiṃ harim

Translation

Darum soll der Weise niemals die Wurzel verlassen und nur einen Zweig verehren — erst recht nicht bei der Verehrung Jagannātha Haris, des Herrn der drei Welten.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Adverbial (हेतु/निमित्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति अव्ययीभूत-रूप (indeclinable ‘therefore/from that’), हेत्वर्थ/अपादानार्थ

• मूलम्: the root
• मूलम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• परित्यज्य: having abandoned
• परित्यज्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि-त्यज् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): ‘having abandoned’

• शाखाम्: a branch
• शाखाम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis/only)

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; निषेधेन सह ‘न ... अर्चयेत्’ (should not worship)

• बुधः: a wise person
• बुधः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (instrumental of manner): ‘especially’

• जगन्नाथम्: Jagannātha (Lord of the world)
• जगन्नाथम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जगतः नाथः)

• त्रैलोक्याधिपतिम्: lord of the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्याधिपतिम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैलोक्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (त्रैलोक्यस्य अधिपतिः)

• हरिम्: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Purāṇic narration style within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-sage stands before a grand Hari shrine; behind him are smaller shrines (branches). He offers the main ārati to Jagannātha Hari while respectfully saluting the others.

Characters & Entities

• Jagannātha
• Hari (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Do not mistake secondary practices for the essence; worship the supreme Lord (Hari) as the root, not merely peripheral observances.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, presented in the Dvārakā Māhātmya section of the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general rule of right worship: avoid misdirected devotion that neglects the principal deity—especially in worship of Hari/Jagannātha.