Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 112

Devanagari script

दर्शनादेव तस्यैव महाक्रतुफलं लभेत् । अग्निचित्कपिला सत्री राजा भिक्षुर्महोदधिः

Transliteration

darśanādeva tasyaiva mahākratuphalaṃ labhet | agnicitkapilā satrī rājā bhikṣurmahodadhiḥ

Translation

Schon durch bloßes Schauen erlangt man die Frucht eines großen Opfers. (Hier werden die mit Ritus und Ort Verbundenen genannt:) der Erbauer des Feueraltars, die Kapilā-Kuh, der Sattra-Opfernde, der König, der Bettelmönch und der große Ozean.

Word by Word

• दर्शनात्: from (mere) seeing
• दर्शनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis particle)

• तस्य: of that (tīrtha/deity)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: itself, alone
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• महाक्रतुफलम्: the fruit of a great sacrifice
• महाक्रतुफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाक्रतु (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'महाक्रतोः फलम्'

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• अग्निचित्: Agni-cit (builder of the fire-altar)
• अग्निचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √चि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: 'अग्निं चिनोति' (one who builds the fire-altar)

• कपिला: Kapilā (proper name)
• कपिला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सत्री: a performer of a sattra (sacrificial session)
• सत्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भिक्षुः: mendicant, monk
• भिक्षुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• महोदधिः: the great ocean
• महोदधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + उदधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: 'महान् उदधिः'

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Agnitīrtha (within Prabhāsakṣetra)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A coastal sacred precinct at Prabhāsa: a consecrated fire-altar (agniciti) near the sea, with emblematic figures—king, mendicant, and ritual specialists—gazing upon the tīrtha; the vast ocean as backdrop, suggesting the rite’s cosmic scale.

Characters & Entities

• Agnicit (fire-altar builder)
• Kapilā
• Satrī (sattra performer)
• Rājā
• Bhikṣu
• Mahodadhi (ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In tīrtha-māhātmya, sacred presence can grant results comparable to major sacrifices through simple darśana.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prabhāsa sacred complex around Agnitīrtha and the ocean.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (reverent viewing) is presented as spiritually efficacious, comparable to mahākratu results.