Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

एवं तत्र समुत्पन्नं प्रभासं वृद्धसंज्ञकम् । तत्रोक्षा ब्राह्मणे देयः सम्यग्यात्राफलेप्सुभिः

Transliteration

evaṃ tatra samutpannaṃ prabhāsaṃ vṛddhasaṃjñakam | tatrokṣā brāhmaṇe deyaḥ samyagyātrāphalepsubhiḥ

Translation

So entstand dort jenes Prabhāsa, bekannt als „Vṛddha“; und dort sollen jene, die die volle Frucht der Pilgerfahrt begehren, einem Brāhmaṇa in rechter Weise einen Stier schenken.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb: 'thus')

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative adverb/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: 'there')

• समुत्पन्नम्: arisen; originated
• समुत्पन्नम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+उत्+पद् (धातु) → समुत्पन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त/PPP)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रभासम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• प्रभासम्: Prabhāsa (sacred place)
• प्रभासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (उपलभ्य/वर्ण्य-वस्तु)

• वृद्ध-संज्ञकम्: having the name ‘Vṛddha’ (called Vṛddha-)
• वृद्ध-संज्ञकम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (वृद्धा संज्ञा यस्य), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; प्रभासम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• उक्षा: a bull
• उक्षा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उक्षन्/उक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तृस्थानी (देयः इत्यत्र विधेय-कर्ता)

• ब्राह्मणे: to a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; सम्प्रदान

• देयः: should be given
• देयः: Kriya (Predicative obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) → देय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, यत्/gerundive)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Gerundive/obligatory), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; उक्षा इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणम् (कर्तव्यता)

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'properly')

• यात्रा-फल-एप्सुभिः: by those who desire the fruit of the pilgrimage
• यात्रा-फल-एप्सुभिः: Karana (Instrument/Agentive instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + एप्सु (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, इच्छार्थक from आप्/आप्नु with desiderative sense)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (यात्रायाः फलम्; तत् एप्सवः), पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करण/हेतु-भाव (agent/instrumental: 'by those who desire')

Speaker

Sūta (contextual narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vṛddha-Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At Vṛddha-Prabhāsa, a pilgrim respectfully offers a strong ox (ukṣā) to a learned Brāhmaṇa near a shrine; attendants hold water-pot and cloth; the act is framed as the ‘completion’ of yātrā.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛddhaprabhāsa
• Brāhmaṇa
• Ukṣā (ox/bull)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is perfected by dāna: sacred travel culminates in generosity aligned with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vṛddhaprabhāsa (Vṛddha-saṃjñaka Prabhāsa) within Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ukṣā-dāna: gifting an ox to a Brāhmaṇa to gain the full fruit of the pilgrimage.