Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

मोक्षार्थं नैष्ठिकैर्वर्णैर्व्रतैश्चैव तु यत्फलम् । तत्फलं समवाप्नोति भल्लुकातीर्थदर्शनात्

Transliteration

mokṣārthaṃ naiṣṭhikairvarṇairvrataiścaiva tu yatphalam | tatphalaṃ samavāpnoti bhallukātīrthadarśanāt

Translation

Welcher Lohn auch immer um der Befreiung willen durch standhafte Zucht erlangt wird—durch Pflichten gemäß der Varṇa und durch Gelübde—derselbe Lohn wird allein durch das Darśana von Bhallukā Tīrtha gewonnen.

Word by Word

• मोक्षार्थम्: for liberation
• मोक्षार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुषः (अर्थः = प्रयोजनम्): 'मोक्षाय अर्थः' → 'for liberation' (अर्थे द्वितीया)

• नैष्ठिकैः: by steadfast (observances/people)
• नैष्ठिकैः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नैष्ठिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• वर्णैः: by (prescribed) classes/varṇas; by sacred syllables (context-dependent)
• वर्णैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय

• यत्: which; whatever
• यत्: Visheshya (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• फलम्: fruit; result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• फलम्: fruit; result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• समवाप्नोति: attains; obtains fully
• समवाप्नोति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अव + √आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भल्लुकातीर्थदर्शनात्: from the sight/visit of Bhallukā-tīrtha
• भल्लुकातीर्थदर्शनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भल्लुका + तीर्थ + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष-भावः: 'भल्लुकातीर्थस्य दर्शनम्' → 'from seeing Bhallukā-tīrtha'

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhallukā Tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims behold Bhallukā Tīrtha with folded hands; an unseen scale balances severe vows on one side and simple darśana on the other, showing equality; subtle mokṣa-light rising upward.

Characters & Entities

• Bhallukā Tīrtha
• Mokṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A holy place can concentrate spiritual merit: sincere pilgrimage-darśana may grant the same liberating fruit as long disciplines and vows.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Bhallukā Tīrtha, a pilgrimage spot within Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (reverent visitation/seeing) of Bhallukā Tīrtha is presented as the key act yielding mokṣa-oriented merit.