Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 159

Devanagari script

तस्माद्गच्छ प्रयाणार्थ कुरु कृष्णस्य दर्शनम् । अन्यथा यास्यसे योनिं पैशाचीं पापदायिनीम्

Transliteration

tasmādgaccha prayāṇārtha kuru kṛṣṇasya darśanam | anyathā yāsyase yoniṃ paiśācīṃ pāpadāyinīm

Translation

C’est pourquoi va—mets-toi en route—et obtiens le darśana de Kṛṣṇa. Sinon, tu tomberas dans une naissance semblable à celle d’un piśāca, état de péché et de ruine.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तस्मात्-इति निपातवत्/प्रयोगः), अपादानार्थे ‘therefore/from that (reason)’

• गच्छ: go
• गच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपदम्

• प्रयाणार्थ: for departure
• प्रयाणार्थ: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयाण (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समासः; अव्ययभावेन प्रयुक्तम् (for the purpose of departure)

• कुरु: do/perform
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• कृष्णस्य: of Krishna
• कृष्णस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• दर्शनम्: vision/sight (darśana)
• दर्शनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘कुरु’ इत्यस्य कर्म

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• यास्यसे: you will go
• यास्यसे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future/भविष्यत्), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदम्

• योनिम्: womb/birth-state
• योनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘यास्यसे’ इत्यस्य कर्म

• पैशाचीम्: demonic/pertaining to piśācas
• पैशाचीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पैशाची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘योनिम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• पापदायिनीम्: sin-giving/bringing sin
• पापदायिनीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + दायिन् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (pāpaṃ dadāti इति); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘योनिम्’ इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Śiva (as continuing admonition within the cited speech)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressee being exhorted (a pilgrim/character within the māhātmya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stern divine instructor points the way toward Dvārakā; on one side, the bright path to Kṛṣṇa’s temple; on the other, a shadowy depiction of a piśāca-like fate as a warning.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• paiśācī yoni (piśāca-state)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Do not postpone dharmic pilgrimage and Kṛṣṇa-darśana; neglect is framed as leading to severe spiritual downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is the implied destination, since the section is Dvārakā Māhātmya and the act prescribed is Kṛṣṇa-darśana there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prayāṇa (undertaking the journey) and Kṛṣṇa-darśana are directly enjoined.