Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

तदेतद्भारतं वर्षं सर्वबीजं वरानने । तत्कर्मभूमिर्नान्यत्र संप्राप्तिः पुण्यपापयोः

Transliteration

tadetadbhārataṃ varṣaṃ sarvabījaṃ varānane | tatkarmabhūmirnānyatra saṃprāptiḥ puṇyapāpayoḥ

Translation

So also, o du Schönangesichtige, ist dieses Bhārata-varṣa der Same und Quell aller geistigen Früchte. Es ist das Land des Karma; nirgends sonst wird durch Handeln in solcher Weise Verdienst und Sünde erlangt.

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; निर्देशक (demonstrative)

• etat: this
• etat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; निर्देशक

• bhāratam: Bhārata
• bhāratam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhārata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; नाम

• varṣam: region/varṣa
• varṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• sarva-bījam: the seed/source of all
• sarva-bījam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + bīja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वस्य बीजम्)

• varānane: O fair-faced one
• varānane: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक) + ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (वरम् आननं यस्याः)

• tat-karma-bhūmiḥ: that is the land of action (karma)
• tat-karma-bhūmiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + karma (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (तस्य कर्मभूमिः / कर्मणः भूमिः)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• anyatra: elsewhere
• anyatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: elsewhere)

• saṃprāptiḥ: attainment
• saṃprāptiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃ + √prāp (प्राप्) (धातु) → saṃprāpti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• puṇya-pāpayoḥ: of merit and sin
• puṇya-pāpayoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व), षष्ठी (6), द्विवचन (dual)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhārata-varṣa (as karma-bhūmi)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (varānane)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda’s proclamation visualized as a fertile field labeled ‘karma-bhūmi’ with sprouting seeds marked puṇya and pāpa; above, Bhārata glows as a sacred landmass; pilgrims perform dāna, snāna, and pūjā at a coastal shrine in the foreground.

Characters & Entities

• Bhārata-varṣa
• Karma-bhūmi
• Puṇya
• Pāpa
• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Bhārata is exalted as the decisive arena of moral causality—actions here bear potent spiritual fruit, urging responsible dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse praises Bhārata broadly; within the Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa context, it underwrites pilgrimage to Prabhāsa as a supremely fruitful karma-setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated; the teaching is about the unique karmic potency of Bhārata.