Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

देवार्चनपरो विप्रो वित्तार्थी भुवनत्रये । असौ देवलकोनाम हव्यकव्येषु गर्हितः

Transliteration

devārcanaparo vipro vittārthī bhuvanatraye | asau devalakonāma havyakavyeṣu garhitaḥ

Translation

Le brahmane voué au culte des dieux, mais qui l’accomplit par désir de richesse—dans les trois mondes il est connu sous le nom de « devalaka », blâmé quant aux offrandes havya et kavya aux dieux et aux ancêtres.

Word by Word

• देवार्चनपरः: devoted to deity-worship
• देवार्चनपरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव + अर्चन + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘देवार्चने परः’ = devoted to worship of gods)

• विप्रः: a brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वित्तार्थी: seeking wealth
• वित्तार्थी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वित्त + अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘वित्तस्य अर्थी’ = desirous of wealth)

• भुवनत्रये: in the three worlds
• भुवनत्रये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुवन + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (‘त्रीणि भुवनानि’)

• असौ: that man
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; निर्देशक-सर्वनाम (this/that person)

• देवलकः: a devalaka (temple-priest for hire)
• देवलकः: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवलक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नामार्थक-अव्यय (particle meaning ‘by name/called’)

• हव्यकव्येषु: in havya and kavya offerings
• हव्यकव्येषु: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हव्य + कव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (offerings to gods and to ancestors)

• गर्हितः: condemned, censured
• गर्हितः: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्हित (कृदन्त; गर्ह् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त/क्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking in the Prabhāsa-kṣetra narrative context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a shrine, a Brahmin performs ārati before a deity image while covertly eyeing a purse of coins; behind him, ancestral offering vessels (śrāddha pātra) are shown, emphasizing ‘havya-kavya’ purity; a pilgrim looks uncertain.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Pitṛs (ancestors)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred service becomes blameworthy when driven by greed; intention (bhāva) determines the spiritual worth of religious acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where standards for worship, charity, and ritual purity are laid down.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It defines the devalaka as a wealth-seeking worshipper and states such a person is censured regarding havya-kavya rites.