Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

जातिं स्मृत्वा पूर्विकां तु ज्ञात्वा दीपदशाफलम् । शिवरात्रे प्रभावं तु प्रभासं पुनरागतः

Transliteration

jātiṃ smṛtvā pūrvikāṃ tu jñātvā dīpadaśāphalam | śivarātre prabhāvaṃ tu prabhāsaṃ punarāgataḥ

Translation

Seiner früheren Lage eingedenk und die Frucht der Darbringung von Lampen nach vorgeschriebener Ordnung sowie die Macht der Śivarātri‑Nacht erkennend, kehrte er abermals nach Prabhāsa zurück.

Word by Word

• jātim: (his) birth/previous state
• jātim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object of smṛtvā)

• smṛtvā: having remembered
• smṛtvā: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having remembered’

• pūrvikām: former/previous
• pūrvikām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrvikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (jātim)

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधसूचक (particle ‘but/indeed’)

• jñātvā: having learned/known
• jñātvā: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having known/understood’

• dīpadaśāphalam: the fruit/result of the ‘lamp-period’ (dīpa-daśā)
• dīpadaśāphalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīpa-daśā-phala (प्रातिपदिक; दीप + दशा + फल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object of jñātvā)

• śivarātre: on Śivarātri
• śivarātre: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva-rātri (प्रातिपदिक; शिव + रात्रि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणे (time)

• prabhāvam: the power/glory
• prabhāvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object of implied ‘jñātvā’/understood)

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधसूचक (particle)

• prabhāsam: to Prabhāsa
• prabhāsam: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (goal as object with motion verb)

• punar: again
• punar: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb ‘again’)

• āgataḥ: returned/came
• āgataḥ: Kriya (Motion/result/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त (PPP) from √gam with उपसर्ग आ-; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृ-विशेषणम् (implicit subject)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (continued narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Śivarātri and dīpa-dāna focus)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi audience (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kubera, now prosperous, remembers his earlier condition; he witnesses rows of lamps offered in sequence (dīpa-daśā/daśā-phala motif) on Śivarātri night at Prabhāsa, and undertakes a reverent return pilgrimage with attendants carrying lamp-stands and offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Śivarātri
• Prabhāsa
• Dīpa-daśā (lamp offering observance)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembering past limitations and recognizing the potency of vrata and dīpa-dāna inspires renewed pilgrimage and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, especially in connection with Śivarātri observance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śivarātri observance and dīpa-dāna (lamp offering), referenced through ‘dīpa-daśā-phala’.