Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

स तीर्थान्यग्रतः कृत्वा मध्ये कृत्वा तु शोभनम् । प्रयागं तीर्थराजं च प्रहृष्टं क्षेत्रदर्शनात्

Transliteration

sa tīrthānyagrataḥ kṛtvā madhye kṛtvā tu śobhanam | prayāgaṃ tīrtharājaṃ ca prahṛṣṭaṃ kṣetradarśanāt

Translation

He set the tīrthas in the forefront, and in the midst he placed the splendid Prayāga—the king of tīrthas—rejoicing at the sight of the sacred kṣetra.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• तीर्थानि: the sacred fords/holy places
• तीर्थानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• अग्रतः: in front, ahead
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: in front)

• कृत्वा: having made/placing
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन (locative)

• कृत्वा: having made/placing
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

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

• शोभनम्: the splendid/beautiful (one/thing)
• शोभनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• प्रयागम्: Prayāga
• प्रयागम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• तीर्थराजम्: the king of holy places
• तीर्थराजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + राज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (king of tīrthas)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्रहृष्टम्: delighted, greatly pleased
• प्रहृष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रहृष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त-निष्पन्न विशेषण (past-participle-derived adj.)

• क्षेत्रदर्शनात्: from/because of seeing the sacred region
• क्षेत्रदर्शनात्: Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (seeing of the sacred place)

Speaker

Prahlāda (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prayāga (Tīrtharāja)

Type: sangam

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand symbolic procession of personified tīrthas: many holy places at the front; in the center sits the splendid Prayāga as a regal figure at a confluence, smiling with joy upon beholding the sacred kṣetra ahead.

Characters & Entities

• Prayāga
• Tīrtha-rāja (king of tīrthas)
• Kṣetra (sacred region)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred travel is structured by reverence—honoring renowned tīrthas like Prayāga while moving within a larger dharmic pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prayāga is explicitly glorified as tīrtha-rāja, the king among pilgrimage places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse emphasizes kṣetra-darśana (holy visitation) and the honoring/precedence given to major tīrthas.