Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

ज्ञानं वैराग्यमैश्वर्यं धर्मं संपूजयेद्बुधः । ईशानादिक्रमाद्देवि दिशासु विदिशासु च

Transliteration

jñānaṃ vairāgyamaiśvaryaṃ dharmaṃ saṃpūjayedbudhaḥ | īśānādikramāddevi diśāsu vidiśāsu ca

Translation

Der weise Verehrer soll Erkenntnis, Entsagung (vairāgya), Herrschaft (aiśvarya) und Dharma vollkommen ehren; und, o Göttin, dies in den Himmelsrichtungen und Zwischenrichtungen tun, der Ordnung nach beginnend mit Īśāna (Nordosten).

Word by Word

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• वैराग्यम्: dispassion
• वैराग्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैराग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ऐश्वर्यम्: lordship/power
• ऐश्वर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐश्वर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• धर्मम्: dharma/righteousness
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संपूजयेत्: should worship
• संपूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

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

• ईशानादि-क्रमात्: in order beginning with Īśāna
• ईशानादि-क्रमात्: Adhikarana (Circumstantial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासान्त-रूपेण अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; पञ्चमी/तृतीया-अर्थे अव्ययप्रयोगः ‘क्रमात्’ = क्रमशः (in order, beginning with Īśāna)

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दिशासु: in the directions
• दिशासु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• विदिशासु: in the intermediate directions
• विदिशासु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विदिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; addressing Devī within the narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as ‘devi’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual mandala is imagined around the worshipper: eight directions and inter-directions marked; starting in the northeast, the devotee offers flowers and salutations to personified Jñāna, Vairāgya, Aiśvarya, and Dharma stationed around the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Īśāna
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True worship includes reverence for inner virtues—knowledge, detachment, righteous conduct, and divinely guided power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, presented as a setting where complete, directionally ordered worship yields merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform worship in the directions and intermediate directions, beginning from the northeast (Īśāna-krama), honouring jñāna, vairāgya, aiśvarya, and dharma.