Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

अथ क्षेत्रस्थितानां च चतुराश्रमवासिनाम् । विप्राणां वृत्तितो भेदं प्रवक्ष्याम्यानुपूर्व्यशः

Transliteration

atha kṣetrasthitānāṃ ca caturāśramavāsinām | viprāṇāṃ vṛttito bhedaṃ pravakṣyāmyānupūrvyaśaḥ

Translation

Nun werde ich der rechten Reihenfolge nach die Unterschiede nach der Lebensweise und dem Erwerb der Brahmanen (Zweimalgeborenen) darlegen, die im heiligen Kṣetra verweilen und in den vier Āśramas leben.

Word by Word

• अथ: now; then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भ/अनन्तरार्थक (particle: “now; then”)

• क्षेत्रस्थितानाम्: of those staying in the sacred place
• क्षेत्रस्थितानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षेत्र-स्थित (कृदन्त; √स्था धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष: “situated in the kṣetra”); कृदन्त (क्त/क्तवत्-भाव: “stood/situated”); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction: “and”)

• चतुराश्रमवासिनाम्: of those belonging to the four āśramas
• चतुराश्रमवासिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्-आश्रम-वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषभाव: “dwelling in the four āśramas”); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• विप्राणाम्: of Brahmins
• विप्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• वृत्तितः: according to livelihood; by mode of life
• वृत्तितः: Sambandha (Ablative of basis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ/प्रकारे (in the sense “by livelihood/according to conduct”)

• भेदम्: distinction; classification
• भेदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall explain
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अनुपूर्व्यशः: in order; sequentially
• अनुपूर्व्यशः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनुपूर्व्यशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (adverb: “in due order, sequentially”)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī / Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teaching tableau: Skanda enumerates categories of kṣetra-resident brāhmaṇas—student, householder, forest-dweller, renunciant—each shown with emblematic livelihood tools (manuscript, yajña implements, austerity staff, begging bowl).

Characters & Entities

• Caturāśrama
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma in a holy place includes regulated modes of living; conduct (vṛtti) is organized and taught systematically.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, presented as a place where āśrama-dharma is carefully observed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A teaching framework is introduced: the upcoming ordered description of vṛtti-bhedas for brāhmaṇas in the kṣetra.