Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

संयताः कामनासक्ता राज्यकामार्थसाधकाः । पद्मास्ते साधकाः ख्याता भिक्षाचर्यारताः सदा

Transliteration

saṃyatāḥ kāmanāsaktā rājyakāmārthasādhakāḥ | padmāste sādhakāḥ khyātā bhikṣācaryāratāḥ sadā

Translation

Maîtres d’eux-mêmes mais encore attachés aux désirs, s’efforçant d’obtenir puissance royale et gains mondains : ces pratiquants sont connus comme les sādhaka « Padma », toujours voués à la discipline de vivre d’aumônes.

Word by Word

• संयताः: restrained
• संयताः: Visheshana (Adjective of ते/साधकाः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संयत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (सं-यम् धातोः क्त) ‘restrained’

• कामनासक्ताः: attached to desires
• कामनासक्ताः: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कामना (प्रातिपदिक) + आसक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (कामनायाम् आसक्ताः)

• राज्यकामार्थसाधकाः: achievers of kingdom, desire, and wealth
• राज्यकामार्थसाधकाः: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक) + काम (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + साधक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (राज्यस्य कामस्य अर्थस्य साधकाः) बहुपद-समास

• पद्माः: (the) Padma (class)
• पद्माः: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; वर्गनाम (a class called Padma)

• ते: they/those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• साधकाः: practitioners
• साधकाः: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ख्याताः: are known (as)
• ख्याताः: Kriya (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ख्या (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचन; ‘(they are) known/called’ (लुप्त-भू धातु)

• भिक्षाचर्यारताः: engaged in the practice of begging
• भिक्षाचर्यारताः: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिक्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + चर्या (प्रातिपदिक) + रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष (भिक्षाचर्यायाम् रताः)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of ascetics with begging bowls and matted hair stand near a sacred precinct; some gaze toward a throne/crown symbolizing rājya-kāma, while continuing bhikṣā-caryā—showing the tension between restraint and desire.

Characters & Entities

• sādhaka
• padma
• bhikṣācaryā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It notes that even disciplined practitioners may carry worldly aims; the text categorizes such mixed-motive sādhana rather than idealizing it.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, portrayed as a setting where diverse ascetic and semi-ascetic lifestyles are encountered.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhikṣācaryā—maintaining oneself through alms as a regular discipline.