Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

गृहाणमूल्यं पद्मानां न गृहीतं मया हि तत् । सात्त्विकं भावमास्थाय सभार्येण द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

gṛhāṇamūlyaṃ padmānāṃ na gṛhītaṃ mayā hi tat | sāttvikaṃ bhāvamāsthāya sabhāryeṇa dvijottamāḥ

Translation

“Take the price for the lotuses”—but I did not accept it. Abiding in a sāttvika spirit, I, together with my wife, O best of the twice-born, maintained that purity of intention.

Word by Word

• गृहाणमूल्यम्: the price (to be taken)
• गृहाणमूल्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहाण + मूल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गृहाणस्य मूल्यं)

• पद्मानाम्: of lotuses
• पद्मानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (neuter, genitive plural)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• गृहीतम्: taken/accepted
• गृहीतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) → गृहीत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थं (taken/accepted)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (instrumental singular: by me)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (that)

• सात्त्विकम्: sattvic, pure
• सात्त्विकम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सात्त्विक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine accusative singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying भावम्)

• भावम्: attitude/state of mind
• भावम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine accusative singular)

• आस्थाय: having adopted
• आस्थाय: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + स्था (धातु) → आस्थाय (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकाल (having adopted/assuming)

• सभार्येण: together with (his) wife
• सभार्येण: Sahakaraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (masculine instrumental singular); बहुव्रीहिः ‘भार्या यस्य सः’ (with wife)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masculine nominative plural); कर्मधारयः (श्रेष्ठा द्विजाः)

Speaker

Rājā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somnātha/Rudreśa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijoत्तमाः / munis (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devotee gently refuses the gold offered as payment for lotuses; his open palm signals ‘no’; his wife stands composed, affirming the decision; the courtesan holds the gold, surprised yet respectful; morning light bathes the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas (dvijottamāḥ addressed)
• Wife (bhāryā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True worship is grounded in sāttvika intention; spiritual acts should not be reduced to profit or transaction.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where the narrative exemplifies purity of conduct during pilgrimage worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A discipline of restraint: refusing payment connected to offerings used for pūjā, preserving ritual purity.