Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

पश्चिमां दिशमास्थाय तीरे नदनदीपतेः । तेजोमयस्य रूपस्य द्रष्टुकामा महात्मनः । तस्मिन्मानसमाधाय तेपिरे परमं तपः

Transliteration

paścimāṃ diśamāsthāya tīre nadanadīpateḥ | tejomayasya rūpasya draṣṭukāmā mahātmanaḥ | tasminmānasamādhāya tepire paramaṃ tapaḥ

Translation

Setting out toward the western quarter, upon the bank of the Lord of rivers, longing to behold the radiant form of that Great Soul, they fixed their minds upon Him and performed supreme austerity.

Word by Word

• पश्चिमाम्: western
• पश्चिमाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दिशम्: direction
• दिशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आस्थाय: having proceeded/approached
• आस्थाय: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + स्था (धातु) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-समकक्ष)
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• तीरे: on the bank
• तीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• नदनदीपतेः: of the lord of rivers (the ocean)
• नदनदीपतेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नद (प्रातिपदिक) + नदी (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (नदानां नदीनां च पतिः)

• तेजोमयस्य: of the radiant
• तेजोमयस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (तेजसा मयः)

• रूपस्य: of the form
• रूपस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• द्रष्टुकामाः: desiring to see
• द्रष्टुकामाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्रष्टु (दृश् धातु, तुमुन्) + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (द्रष्टुं कामः येषां ते)

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled one
• महात्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मह (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महान् आत्मा यस्य)

• तस्मिन्: in that (place/thing)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• मानसम्: mind
• मानसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आधाय: having fixed/placed
• आधाय: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + धा (धातु) + ल्यप्
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• तेपिरे: performed austerity
• तेपिरे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (रूपं प्रथमा/द्वितीया समानम्)

Speaker

Prahlāda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā–Prabhāsa coastal tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience (ṛṣis/śaunaka-group style, context-dependent)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of Brahmā’s sons journey westward and sit in austere meditation on a sea/river bank, minds fixed on a radiant Great Soul, performing prolonged tapas under a vast sky.

Characters & Entities

• Prahlāda
• Sanakādi Kumāras
• Mahātmā (Supreme Lord)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana is attained through concentrated mind and tapas; inner discipline sanctifies outer pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The western sacred riverbank leading toward the coastal sacred sphere of Dvārakā/Varuṇa’s region, within the Gomātī origin narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas with mānasa-samādhi—performing austerity while fixing the mind in meditative concentration.