Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

उत्तरं दक्षिणं चापि अयनं न विचारयेत् । सर्वस्तेषां शुभः कालो ये मृताः क्षेत्रमध्यतः

Transliteration

uttaraṃ dakṣiṇaṃ cāpi ayanaṃ na vicārayet | sarvasteṣāṃ śubhaḥ kālo ye mṛtāḥ kṣetramadhyataḥ

Translation

One should not weigh whether it is the northern or the southern course. For all who die in the very midst of this sacred field, every time is auspicious.

Word by Word

• uttaram: the northern (direction)
• uttaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uttara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; दिक्-नाम (north)

• dakṣiṇam: the southern (direction)
• dakṣiṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; दिक्-नाम (south)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle): ‘also/even’

• ayanam: the (sun’s) course/solstice
• ayanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ayana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘अयन’ (course/solstice)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• vicārayet: should consider/examine
• vicārayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + car (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘विचारयेत्’ = should consider

• sarvaḥ: entire, wholly
• sarvaḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate)

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• śubhaḥ: auspicious
• śubhaḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• kālaḥ: time
• kālaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ye: who (those who)
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• mṛtāḥ: dead, having died
• mṛtāḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• kṣetra-madhyataḥ: from within the middle of the sacred area
• kṣetra-madhyataḥ: Adhikarana/Apadana nuance (Location/Source/अधिकरण/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक) + madhya (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिलन्त अव्यय; अव्ययीभाव-समासः (‘क्षेत्रस्य मध्यतः’ = from/in the middle of the field)

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at Prabhāsa within the kṣetra-boundary, with the sun shown in both northern and southern courses as irrelevant, while the kṣetra radiates steady light; attendants perform calm last rites near the sacred precinct.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Pārvatī
• Uttarāyaṇa
• Dakṣiṇāyaṇa
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In an exceptionally potent kṣetra, divine grace overrides ordinary auspicious-time calculations; holiness itself sanctifies the moment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The central region (kṣetra-madhya) of Prabhāsa-kṣetra, described as granting auspiciousness irrespective of seasonal solar transitions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A practical rule is implied: do not rely on uttarāyaṇa/dakṣiṇāyaṇa considerations for auspiciousness when the death occurs within the kṣetra’s center.