Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

अहतं धातुरक्तं वा तत्पवित्रमिति स्थितम् । अग्रतो वसते मूर्खो दूरे चास्य गुणान्वितः

Transliteration

ahataṃ dhāturaktaṃ vā tatpavitramiti sthitam | agrato vasate mūrkho dūre cāsya guṇānvitaḥ

Translation

Ungetragenes Tuch oder mit Mineralfarbe gefärbtes Tuch gilt als rein. Doch kann ein Tor vorn ganz nahe sitzen, während der Tugendhafte in der Ferne bleibt.

Word by Word

• अहतम्: unbeaten/untreated
• अहतम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अहत (प्रातिपदिक; अ+हत, हन्-धातु से)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter Nom/Acc singular; unstruck/unbeaten)

• धातु-रक्तम्: mineral-dyed
• धातु-रक्तम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धातु (प्रातिपदिक) + रक्त (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘धातुना रक्तम्’ (Neuter Nom/Acc singular; dyed with mineral)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संकेत/अन्वय (that)

• पवित्रम्: pure
• पवित्रम्: Pratipādya (Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter Nom/Acc singular)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• स्थितम्: is established/held
• स्थितम्: Kriya (Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘is established/held’ (PPP used predicatively)

• अग्रतः: in front
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: in front)

• वसते: dwells/lives
• वसते: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (3rd person singular present, Ātmanepada)

• मूर्खः: a fool
• मूर्खः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative singular)

• दूरे: far away
• दूरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative used adverbially: far away)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम्/अदस्? → अस्य (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (Genitive singular: of him/its)

• गुण-अन्वितः: endowed with qualities
• गुण-अन्वितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त; अनु+इ/इण् + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘गुणैः अन्वितः’ (Masculine, Nominative singular; endowed with virtues)

Speaker

Unknown (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narration; social/ritual discernment teaching)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim assembly at Prabhāsa: a coarse, self-satisfied man sits prominently in front; a serene, virtuous ascetic stands slightly apart. Nearby, folded cloth—one new, one mineral-dyed—symbolizes ‘purity’ and the ambiguity of externals.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True worth is not guaranteed by physical closeness; virtue and discernment matter in whom one honors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, within its māhātmya narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Standards for ‘pure’ cloth: new/unworn or mineral-dyed.