Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

येन क्षेत्रं समासाद्य निवृत्तिः परमा कृता । वस्तुलौल्याद्धि यः क्षेत्रे प्रतिग्रहरुचिस्तथा

Transliteration

yena kṣetraṃ samāsādya nivṛttiḥ paramā kṛtā | vastulaulyāddhi yaḥ kṣetre pratigraharucistathā

Translation

Wer dieses heilige Feld erreicht und wahrhaft den höchsten Rückzug (vom Greifen und Anhaften) übt, erlangt das höchste Heil. Wer aber aus Gier nach Besitz im heiligen Ort Geschmack am Annehmen von Gaben findet—

Word by Word

• येन: by whom/whereby
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• क्षेत्रम्: the holy place/field
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• समासाद्य: having reached
• समासाद्य: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-√सद् (धातु; ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (ल्यप्) अव्यय; पूर्वकालक्रिया (absolutive)

• निवृत्तिः: cessation/withdrawal
• निवृत्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• परमा: supreme
• परमा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (निवृत्तेः)

• कृता: done/achieved
• कृता: Kriya-visheshana / Predicate adjective (विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (predicate)

• वस्तु: objects/things
• वस्तु: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध) (within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे प्रातिपदिक; समासपूर्वपद (compound member)

• लौल्यात्: from greed/attachment
• लौल्यात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लौल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; समासः: वस्तु-लौल्य (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/हेतौ

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• क्षेत्रे: in the holy place
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• प्रतिग्रह: acceptance (of gifts)
• प्रतिग्रह: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध) (within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रति-ग्रह (धातु √ग्रह् + उपसर्ग प्रति; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे प्रातिपदिक; समासपूर्वपद (compound member)

• रुचिः: liking/interest
• रुचिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः: प्रतिग्रह-रुचि (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तथा: likewise/so
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb of manner)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two contrasted pilgrims at Prabhāsa: one sits calmly in meditation after darśana, possessions few, face luminous; the other clutches gifts with anxious eyes, surrounded by bundles, symbolizing vastu-lolya. A sage points toward the sea-tīrtha and temple, indicating the path of nivṛtti.

Characters & Entities

• kṣetra (Prabhāsa-kṣetra)
• nivṛtti
• pratigrāha
• vastu-laulya (greed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is meant for nivṛtti (inner turning away from greed), not for cultivating appetite for gain through gifts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, referred to as ‘kṣetra’ whose purpose is supreme spiritual withdrawal.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A moral prescription: practice nivṛtti in the kṣetra and avoid greed-driven acceptance of gifts.