Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

धर्मध्वजी सदा लुब्धः परदाररतो हि यः । करोति तीर्थगमनं स नरः पातकी भवेत्

Transliteration

dharmadhvajī sadā lubdhaḥ paradārarato hi yaḥ | karoti tīrthagamanaṃ sa naraḥ pātakī bhavet

Translation

Wer das Banner des Dharma zur Schau trägt, doch stets gierig ist und sich an der Frau eines anderen ergötzt—selbst wenn er zum tīrtha pilgert, wird ein solcher Mensch dennoch zum Sünder.

Word by Word

• धर्मध्वजी: one who makes a show of righteousness (hypocrite)
• धर्मध्वजी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म-ध्वजिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; धर्मध्वजः इव आचरति इति—धर्मध्वजिन् (धर्मध्वजिन्-शब्दः)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• लुब्धः: greedy
• लुब्धः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लुब्ध (कृदन्त; √लुभ् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• परदाररतः: fond of others' wives
• परदाररतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर-दार-रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; परेषां दारेषु रतः (locative-relation)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/indeed)

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

• करोति: does, performs
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तीर्थगमनम्: going to a pilgrimage place
• तीर्थगमनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ-गमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तीर्थस्य गमनम्

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• नरः: man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पातकी: sinful
• पातकी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पातकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; पातकयुक्तः (possessing sin)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A richly dressed pilgrim carries a dharma-banner yet is shadowed by symbols of greed and illicit desire; the sacred shrine stands unmoved, while a dark aura marks the pilgrim’s moral fall—pilgrimage as empty spectacle.

Characters & Entities

• tīrtha
• dharma-dhvajī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer pilgrimage cannot replace inner virtue; hypocrisy, greed, and adultery negate the sanctifying intent of yātrā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra as a tīrtha whose benefits depend on ethical conduct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A moral restriction: pilgrimage should not be undertaken as a mere display while persisting in serious misconduct.