Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

अग्निष्टोमादिभिर्यज्ञैर्यजत्येकः सदक्षिणैः । पश्यत्यन्यो हृषीकेशं चातुर्मास्यं समाहितः

Transliteration

agniṣṭomādibhiryajñairyajatyekaḥ sadakṣiṇaiḥ | paśyatyanyo hṛṣīkeśaṃ cāturmāsyaṃ samāhitaḥ

Translation

L’un accomplit des sacrifices tels que l’Agniṣṭoma, avec les dakṣiṇā requises ; mais un autre, l’esprit ferme, contemple Hṛṣīkeśa durant Cāturmāsya, et cela est déclaré un accomplissement plus grand.

Word by Word

• अग्निष्टोमादिभिः: with (rites) beginning with Agniṣṭoma
• अग्निष्टोमादिभिः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agniṣṭoma + ādi (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तृतीया-बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अग्निष्टोमः आदिः येषां तैः)

• यज्ञैः: by sacrifices
• यज्ञैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• यजति: sacrifices, worships
• यजति: Kriya (क्रिया/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• एकः: one (person)
• एकः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सदक्षिणैः: with priestly fees (accompanied by gifts)
• सदक्षिणैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa + dakṣiṇā (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्; कर्मधारयः (सहिताः दक्षिणाभिः)

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (क्रिया/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• अन्यः: another (person)
• अन्यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• हृषीकेशम्: Hṛṣīkeśa
• हृषीकेशम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛṣīkeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• चातुर्मास्यम्: Cāturmāsya observance
• चातुर्मास्यम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāturmāsya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समाहितः: composed, intent
• समाहितः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-धा (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hṛṣīkeśa-darśana in Cāturmāsya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Vedic sacrificial ground with altars and priests offering oblations; beside it, a quiet shrine where a devotee beholds Hṛṣīkeśa during Cāturmāsya, suggesting the ‘greater attainment’ lies in the latter.

Characters & Entities

• Agniṣṭoma
• Yajña
• Dakṣiṇā
• Hṛṣīkeśa
• Cāturmāsya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even Vedic-scale ritual excellence is secondary to focused devotion and direct God-realization through darśana.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; the emphasis is on the sacred season of Cāturmāsya and the supreme value of Hṛṣīkeśa-darśana.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of Agniṣṭoma and related yajñas with dakṣiṇā, contrasted with Cāturmāsya discipline culminating in seeing Hṛṣīkeśa.