Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 188

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । गच्छ राजन्प्रधानानि तीर्थानि मनुजेश्वर । पितरं तेषु चानीय तस्माद्राजन्मरुस्थलात्

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | gaccha rājanpradhānāni tīrthāni manujeśvara | pitaraṃ teṣu cānīya tasmādrājanmarusthalāt

Translation

Nārada sprach: „Geh, o König, zu den erhabensten Tīrthas, o Herr der Menschen. Bring deinen Vater zu jenen Tīrthas und führe ihn aus jenem Wüstenland heraus, o König.“

Word by Word

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गच्छ: go
• गच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• प्रधानानि: principal, foremost
• प्रधानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying)

• तीर्थानि: pilgrimage places
• तीर्थानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• मनुजेश्वर: O lord of men
• मनुजेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुज-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक; components: मनुज + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• पितरम्: father
• पितरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• तेषु: in those (places)
• तेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• आनीय: having brought
• आनीय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-नी (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• तस्मात्: from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• मरुस्थलात्: from the desert region
• मरुस्थलात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरु-स्थल (प्रातिपदिक; components: मरु + स्थल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pradhāna-tīrthāni (foremost tīrthas; culminating in Prabhāsa context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, authoritative yet compassionate, points the way; the king prepares a caravan to escort his father from the desert toward renowned tīrthas—flags, carts, attendants, and a distant glimpse of river/sea indicating sacred destination.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• rājā (king)
• tīrtha
• marusthala (desert)
• pitṛ (father)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage to eminent tīrthas, undertaken with right intent, becomes a dharmic path for uplifting one’s ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a single named tīrtha is specified in this verse; it points broadly to ‘foremost tīrthas’ within the sacred-travel ethos of Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is tīrtha-yātrā and physically bringing the father to sacred sites.