Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

कथं तुष्यसि मर्त्यानां क्षेत्रे तत्र विचेतसाम् । जप्तं दत्तं हुतं यष्टं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत् । प्रभासे तु महाक्षेत्रे कस्मात्तत्राक्षयं भवेत्

Transliteration

kathaṃ tuṣyasi martyānāṃ kṣetre tatra vicetasām | japtaṃ dattaṃ hutaṃ yaṣṭaṃ tapastaptaṃ kṛtaṃ ca yat | prabhāse tu mahākṣetre kasmāttatrākṣayaṃ bhavet

Translation

Wie kannst du an den Sterblichen in jenem Kṣetra Wohlgefallen finden, selbst wenn ihr Geist zerstreut ist? Und warum werden Japa, Gabe, Feueropfer, Opferhandlung, Askese und alles, was in Prabhāsa — dem großen Kṣetra — getan wird, unvergänglich und unerschöpflich?

Word by Word

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• तुष्यसि: you are pleased
• तुष्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• मर्त्यानाम्: of mortals
• मर्त्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• विचेतसाम्: of the distracted/heedless
• विचेतसाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying मर्त्यानाम्)

• जप्तम्: (what is) muttered/recited
• जप्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; कर्मवाच्य-भावे ‘that which is recited’

• दत्तम्: (what is) given (as gift)
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• हुतम्: (what is) offered in fire
• हुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हु (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यष्टम्: (what is) sacrificed/performed as yajña
• यष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; उत्तरपद-पूर्वाङ्ग (in compound)

• तप्तम्: (austerity) practiced
• तप्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘performed (austerity)’

• कृतम्: (what is) done
• कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

• यत्: whatever (that)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative)

• प्रभासे: in Prabhāsa
• प्रभासे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• महाक्षेत्रे: in the great sacred field
• महाक्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महच्च तत् क्षेत्रम्)

• कस्मात्: why/from what cause
• कस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्ययप्राय (ablatival interrogative) = ‘for what reason/why’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• अक्षयम्: imperishable
• अक्षयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying implicit फलम्/पुण्यम्)

• भवेत्: would become/should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Devī (Satī/Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaṅkara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī asks a profound question: why Śiva is pleased even with distracted mortals in Prabhāsa, and why all rites there become imperishable; symbolic imagery of offerings, japa beads, fire altar, and ascetic practice surrounding the kṣetra.

Characters & Entities

• Devī Satī
• Śiva
• Prabhāsa
• Japa
• Dāna
• Homa
• Yajña
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain supreme kṣetras magnify merit; the verse asks for the theological basis of ‘akṣaya’ fruit at Prabhāsa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa is called a mahākṣetra where spiritual acts yield imperishable results.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa, dāna, homa, yajña, and tapas are listed as acts whose fruit becomes akṣaya in Prabhāsa.