Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

न सा गतिः कुरुक्षेत्रे गंगाद्वारे त्रिपुष्करे । या गतिर्विहिता पुंसां प्रभासक्षेत्रवासिनाम्

Transliteration

na sā gatiḥ kurukṣetre gaṃgādvāre tripuṣkare | yā gatirvihitā puṃsāṃ prabhāsakṣetravāsinām

Translation

The destiny gained at Kurukṣetra, at Gaṅgādvāra, or at Tripuṣkara is not equal to the supreme passage ordained for those who dwell in Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (particle of negation)

• सा: that
• सा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम, विशेषण (that)

• गतिः: attainment/destination
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कुरुक्षेत्रे: in Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kurukṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कुरूणां क्षेत्रम्)

• गंगाद्वारे: at Gaṅgā-dvāra (Haridvāra)
• गंगाद्वारे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā + dvāra (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गङ्गायाः द्वारम्)

• त्रिपुष्करे: at Tripuṣkara
• त्रिपुष्करे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tripuṣkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (त्रीणि पुष्कराणि/त्रिपुष्करम्)

• या: which
• या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक यत्-शब्दः

• गतिः: attainment
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विहिता: ordained
• विहिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + dhā (धातु) → vihita (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/निष्पन्नार्थक विशेषण (ordained)

• पुंसाम्: of men
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṃs (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• प्रभासक्षेत्रवासिनाम्: of the residents of Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• प्रभासक्षेत्रवासिनाम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhāsa-kṣetra + vāsin (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (प्रभासक्षेत्रे वासी)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa Kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A comparative pilgrimage map rendered as a sacred mandala: Kurukṣetra, Gaṅgādvāra, and Tripuṣkara appear as distant luminous nodes, while Prabhāsa blazes at the center with a brighter aura; pilgrims dwell there, receiving a radiant ‘gati’ path upward.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa Kṣetra
• Kurukṣetra
• Gaṅgādvāra (Haridvāra)
• Tripuṣkara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Residence and devotion in Prabhāsa is portrayed as yielding a spiritual destiny surpassing even renowned pan-Indian pilgrimage centers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, explicitly compared favorably against Kurukṣetra, Gaṅgādvāra, and Tripuṣkara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied discipline is kṣetra-vāsa (dwelling/residing) in Prabhāsa as a potent spiritual practice.