Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

तैलपात्रमिवात्मानं यो रक्षेत्तीर्थसेवकः । स तीर्थफलमस्कन्नं विप्रः प्राप्नोति संयतः

Transliteration

tailapātramivātmānaṃ yo rakṣettīrthasevakaḥ | sa tīrthaphalamaskannaṃ vipraḥ prāpnoti saṃyataḥ

Translation

The tīrtha-servant who guards himself as one would guard a vessel of oil, so it does not spill, attains the undiminished fruit of the tīrtha; that disciplined brāhmaṇa truly obtains it.

Word by Word

• तैलपात्रम्: an oil-vessel
• तैलपात्रम्: Upamana (Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तैल + पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तैलस्य पात्रम्)

• इव: like
• इव: Upama-sambandha (Comparison marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• आत्मानम्: oneself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; accusative singular

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; relative pronoun

• रक्षेत्: should protect
• रक्षेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; optative 3rd sg

• तीर्थसेवकः: attendant of the tīrtha
• तीर्थसेवकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ + सेवक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थस्य सेवकः)

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

• तीर्थफलम्: fruit/result of the tīrtha
• तीर्थफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थस्य फलम्)

• अस्कन्नम्: unspilled, undiminished
• अस्कन्नम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्कन्द् (धातु)
• Form: नञ्-पूर्वक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle with negation), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; a-skanna = not spilled; agreeing with तीर्थफलम्

• विप्रः: a brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular

• प्राप्नोति: attains
• प्राप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; present 3rd sg

• संयतः: self-controlled
• संयतः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + यम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'restrained'

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from section context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa tīrtha-sevaka holds a small oil vessel close to his chest while walking carefully along a sacred ghat; above him, a luminous aura labeled ‘tīrtha-phala’ remains intact, symbolizing unspilled merit.

Characters & Entities

• tīrtha-sevaka
• vipra (brāhmaṇa)
• tīrtha-phala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Restraint safeguards spiritual merit; careless conduct ‘spills’ the fruit of holy practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-tīrtha, through praise of the ideal tīrtha-sevaka and the promise of full tīrtha-phala.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A discipline rule: the tīrtha-servant should vigilantly protect his conduct to preserve undiminished pilgrimage merit.