Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

सद्भिः सह सदासीत सद्भिः कुर्वीत सत्कथाम् । सतां व्रतेन वर्तेत नासद्भिः किञ्चिदाचरेत्

Transliteration

sadbhiḥ saha sadāsīta sadbhiḥ kurvīta satkathām | satāṃ vratena varteta nāsadbhiḥ kiñcidācaret

Translation

„Man soll stets in der Gemeinschaft der Guten weilen; mit den Guten edle Gespräche führen. Man lebe nach Gelübde und Zucht der Tugendhaften und tue nichts in der Gesellschaft der Bösen.“

Word by Word

• sadbhiḥ: with good people
• sadbhiḥ: Sahārtha (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; सह-कारक (with the good)

• saha: with
• saha: Sahārtha (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक उपपद (with)

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (always)

• āsīta: should associate/remain
• āsīta: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ās (आस् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; ‘you should sit/associate’

• sadbhiḥ: with good people
• sadbhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; करण/सह (with the good)

• kurvīta: should do
• kurvīta: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; ‘should do’

• sat-kathām: good talk, holy discourse
• sat-kathām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat + kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘सतां कथा’/‘सद्विषया कथा’ (good discourse)

• satām: of the good (people)
• satām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (of the good)

• vratena: by (their) vow/discipline
• vratena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण (by the vow/discipline)

• varteta: should behave
• varteta: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛt (वृत् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; ‘should conduct oneself’

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (not)

• asadbhiḥ: with the wicked
• asadbhiḥ: Sahārtha (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; सह/करण (with bad people)

• kiñcit: anything
• kiñcit: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃcit (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्म (anything)

• ācaret: should do/practice
• ācaret: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (चर् धातु) + ā (उपसर्ग)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; ‘should practice/do’

Speaker

Nṛpati (the king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm satsanga circle: sages and pilgrims seated, reciting sat-kathā; the king listens respectfully, while a shadowy group of ‘asat’ figures is shown at a distance, turned away, emphasizing avoidance.

Characters & Entities

• sat (the virtuous)
• asat (the wicked)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Character and destiny are shaped by company: keep sat-saṅga, practice noble speech, and avoid harmful associations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, used as the setting to teach the unique value of sat-saṅga at a sacred place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vrata in the sense of disciplined conduct—living according to the ethical observances of the virtuous.