Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 194

Devanagari script

एवं ज्ञात्वा द्रुतं गच्छ तत्र पार्थिवसत्तम । यदीच्छसि परं श्रेय इह लोके परत्र च

Transliteration

evaṃ jñātvā drutaṃ gaccha tatra pārthivasattama | yadīcchasi paraṃ śreya iha loke paratra ca

Translation

Sachant cela, rends-toi là-bas sans tarder, ô le meilleur des rois, si tu désires le bien suprême, en ce monde et dans l’au-delà.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known/understood
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having known’

• द्रुतम्: quickly
• द्रुतम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्रुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः — ‘quickly’

• गच्छ: go
• गच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् — ‘go!’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• पार्थिवसत्तम: O best of kings
• पार्थिवसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव-सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; पार्थिव + सत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारय-भावः (‘पार्थिवानां सत्तमः’) — Vocative singular

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तबोधक (conditional particle)

• इच्छसि: you wish
• इच्छसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् — ‘you desire’

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् — Accusative singular (qualifying ‘śreyaḥ’)

• श्रेयः: the highest good
• श्रेयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (रूपम्: श्रेयः); कर्म — Accusative singular neuter

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (here)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन — Locative singular

• परत्र: hereafter/in the next world
• परत्र: Adhikarana (Time/Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक अव्यय (in the other world/thereafter)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda (Arbudācala)

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārthiva (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage or narrator urges a king to depart swiftly toward the sacred mountain Arbuda, with the mountain’s silhouette and a distant shrine implied.

Characters & Entities

• King (listener, implied)
• Caṇḍikāyatana (contextual)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Promptly turning toward sacred pilgrimage and devotion is presented as the sure path to well-being here and hereafter.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘there’ refers to the Caṇḍikāyatana/Devī-sthāna in the Arbuda-khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A direct injunction to go/undertake pilgrimage to the sacred site for attaining śreyas (highest good).