Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 111

Devanagari script

पार्वत्युवाच । लेशेनापि न सिद्ध्यंति कांक्षमाणाः परं पदम् । योनीर्भ्रमंतो दृश्यंते नरा नास्तिकवृत्तयः

Transliteration

pārvatyuvāca | leśenāpi na siddhyaṃti kāṃkṣamāṇāḥ paraṃ padam | yonīrbhramaṃto dṛśyaṃte narā nāstikavṛttayaḥ

Translation

Pārvatī said: Even in the slightest measure they do not attain success, though they long for the supreme state. Men of atheistic conduct are seen wandering through births, circling from womb to womb.

Word by Word

• पार्वती: Pārvatī
• पार्वती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• लेशेन: by a small amount/even slightly
• लेशेन: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (even/also)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• सिद्ध्यन्ति: succeed/are accomplished
• सिद्ध्यन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सिध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• काङ्क्षमाणाः: desiring
• काङ्क्षमाणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काङ्क्ष् (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; वर्तमानकाले शानच्-प्रत्यय (present participle: 'desiring')

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पदम्: state/abode
• पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• योनीः: wombs/births
• योनीः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• भ्रमन्तः: wandering
• भ्रमन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle: 'wandering')

• दृश्यन्ते: are seen/appear
• दृश्यन्ते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद (passive-like: 'are seen/appear')

• नराः: men/people
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• नास्तिकवृत्तयः: those of atheistic conduct
• नास्तिकवृत्तयः: Karta (Apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नास्तिक-वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक; नास्तिक + वृत्ति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहि: 'नास्तिका वृत्तिः येषाम्' (those whose conduct is atheistic)

Speaker

Pārvatī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva (Śaṃkara)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pārvatī, moved with concern, points out that faithless people fail to attain the supreme goal and keep revolving through births; the scene contrasts the serene divine couple with a faint backdrop of wandering beings in saṃsāra.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Without faith aligned to dharma, aspiration alone does not yield liberation; disbelief leads to continued saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discussion is situated in the Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya, framing liberation within tīrtha-centered dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it diagnoses the spiritual consequence of nāstika-vṛtti.