Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

ध्यानेन ज्ञानयोगेन तपसा वचसा गुरोः । सत्येन साहसेनैव दृश्यते भुवनत्रयम्

Transliteration

dhyānena jñānayogena tapasā vacasā guroḥ | satyena sāhasenaiva dṛśyate bhuvanatrayam

Translation

Durch Meditation, durch den Yoga der Erkenntnis, durch Askese, durch das Wort des Guru und wahrlich durch Wahrheit und mutigen Entschluss werden die drei Welten erkennbar und offenbar.

Word by Word

• ध्यानेन: by meditation
• ध्यानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• ज्ञानयोगेन: by the yoga of knowledge
• ज्ञानयोगेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (ज्ञानस्य योगः / ज्ञान-सम्बद्धः योगः)

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• वचसा: by speech/word
• वचसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• गुरोः: of the guru
• गुरोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• सत्येन: by truth
• सत्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• साहसेन: by courage/effort
• साहसेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• एव: indeed / only
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis/only)

• दृश्यते: is seen / is realized
• दृश्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• भुवनत्रयम्: the three worlds
• भुवनत्रयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुवन (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु (त्रीणि भुवनानि)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin-pilgrim seated near a sacred coastal tīrtha, receiving guru-upadeśa; above, symbolic three-tier cosmos (pātāla, bhū, svarga) becomes luminous through meditation and truth.

Characters & Entities

• Guru
• Jñāna-yoga
• Tapas
• Bhuvana-traya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual vision arises from disciplined practice—meditation, knowledge, austerity, truth, and obedience to the Guru.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within Vastrāpatha-kṣetra māhātmya, presenting the tīrtha as a setting that supports yogic and dharmic attainment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) and dhyāna (meditation) are explicitly praised; following the Guru’s instruction is emphasized.