Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

अन्यैश्च विविधाकारैर्लोकमार्गस्थितैः शुभैः । न तत्पदं परं देवि शक्यं वीक्षयितुं क्वचित्

Transliteration

anyaiśca vividhākārairlokamārgasthitaiḥ śubhaiḥ | na tatpadaṃ paraṃ devi śakyaṃ vīkṣayituṃ kvacit

Translation

Und auch durch andere glückverheißende Mittel vielfältiger Art, die selbst auf den Wegen der Welt beschritten werden—o Devī—kann jener höchste Stand nirgends wahrhaft geschaut (erlangt) werden.

Word by Word

• अन्यैः: by/with others
• अन्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण/सह) बहुवचनम्; adjective used substantively = “by/with others”

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

• विविधाकारैः: by those of various forms
• विविधाकारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध + आकार (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम्; कर्मधारयः—“विविधः आकारः यस्य/येषाम्” (of various forms)

• लोकमार्गस्थितैः: by those situated on the worldly path
• लोकमार्गस्थितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोक + मार्ग + स्थित (कृदन्त; √स्था धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम्; भूतकृदन्तः (क्त) ‘स्थित’ = “situated”; तत्पुरुषः—“लोकस्य मार्गे स्थित” (situated on the worldly path)

• शुभैः: by the auspicious/virtuous (ones)
• शुभैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम्; qualifying the instrumental plurals

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः (negation particle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; demonstrative “that” (agreeing with पदम्)

• पदं: state/abode/goal
• पदं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; here as कर्म (object) with infinitive

• परं: supreme
• परं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; adjective of पदम्

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (vocative) एकवचनम्

• शक्यं: possible
• शक्यं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्य (कृदन्त; √शक् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम्; potential/gerundive sense “possible”

• वीक्षयितुं: to behold
• वीक्षयितुं: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वीक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्तम् (infinitive) = “to see/behold”

• क्वचित्: ever/anywhere
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/काल-अव्ययम् (adverb)

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Devī/Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A procession of seekers trying diverse ‘good paths’—charity, vows, study, pilgrimages—yet a veil remains before a radiant ‘supreme state’; the veil lifts only toward the Somnātha sanctum hinted at the horizon.

Characters & Entities

• Devī (Pārvatī)
• parama-pada (supreme state)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit gained through conventional, worldly-approved religious paths still falls short of granting the highest realization without the special sanctity of the kṣetra and its presiding deity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, implicitly presented as the exceptional locus for attaining the supreme state.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single ritual is prescribed here; the verse generalizes that many auspicious practices are inadequate for the supreme attainment without the kṣetra’s decisive factor.