Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

अथ दृष्ट्वा भवं देवं सकृत्पूज्यविधानतः । केदारयात्राफलभाक्स भवेन्मनुजोत्तमः

Transliteration

atha dṛṣṭvā bhavaṃ devaṃ sakṛtpūjyavidhānataḥ | kedārayātrāphalabhāksa bhavenmanujottamaḥ

Translation

Wer den Gott Bhava (Śiva) schaut und Ihn auch nur einmal nach rechter Vorschrift verehrt, der vortreffliche Mensch wird teilhaftig des Verdienstes der Kedāra-Pilgerfahrt.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तर/then)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृत्)
• Form: अव्ययभावे कृदन्त (क्त्वा/absolutive)

• भवम्: Bhava (Śiva)
• भवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भवं विशेषयति (apposition)

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Kala/Avadhi (Temporal adjunct/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (once)

• पूज्य: having worshipped
• पूज्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + यत् (कृत्)
• Form: अव्ययभावे कृदन्त (ल्यप्-समकक्ष/gerundial usage; ‘having worshipped’)

• विधानतः: according to the prescribed method
• विधानतः: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) — ‘according to rule’

• केदार-यात्रा-फल-भाक्: partaker of the fruit of the Kedāra pilgrimage
• केदार-यात्रा-फल-भाक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केदार (प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + भाज् (धातु) (भाक्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (केदारयात्रायाः फलस्य भाक् = partaker of the fruit)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मनुज-उत्तमः: best of men
• मनुज-उत्तमः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (उत्तमः मनुजः)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhava-darśana at Vastrāpatha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands before a Śiva-liṅga or anthropomorphic Bhava, offering bilva leaves and water; the scene subtly juxtaposes Himalayan Kedāra imagery (snow peaks) as a symbolic comparison while remaining in Prabhāsa terrain.

Characters & Entities

• Bhava (Śiva)
• Kedāra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a single, properly performed act of darśana and pūjā to Śiva can yield vast tīrtha-merit when done in a sanctified kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (within Prabhāsa tradition), where Bhava (Śiva) is to be seen and worshipped.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship (pūjā) performed ‘vidhānataḥ’—according to prescribed procedure—along with darśana of Bhava.