Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

अत्र ये शुभ कर्माणः प्रभासस्थां सरस्वतीम् । पश्यंति तेपि यास्यंति स्वर्गलोकं द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

atra ye śubha karmāṇaḥ prabhāsasthāṃ sarasvatīm | paśyaṃti tepi yāsyaṃti svargalokaṃ dvijottamāḥ

Translation

Ici, ceux dont les actes sont auspices et qui contemplent Sarasvatī demeurant à Prabhāsa—eux aussi, ô le meilleur des deux-fois-nés, iront au monde céleste.

Word by Word

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक/adverb of place)

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Pronoun, Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• śubhāḥ: virtuous; auspicious
• śubhāḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural); विशेषण (qualifying ‘ye’)

• karmāṇaḥ: (people) of deeds; doers of good acts
• karmāṇaḥ: Karta (Apposition to subject/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural); ‘कर्माणः’ = ‘कर्माणि’ इत्यर्थे वैदिक/पुराण-प्रयोगः

• prabhāsa-sthāṃ: dwelling in Prabhāsa
• prabhāsa-sthāṃ: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prabhāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष: प्रभासे स्था), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘sarasvatīm’)

• sarasvatīm: Sarasvatī (goddess/river)
• sarasvatīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarasvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• paśyanti: they see
• paśyanti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

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

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अपि = ‘also/even’)

• yāsyanti: they will go
• yāsyanti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्/future), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• svarga-lokaṃ: the heavenly world
• svarga-lokaṃ: Karma (Destination as object/गन्तव्य-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: स्वर्गस्य लोकः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• dvija-uttamāḥ: O best of the twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• dvija-uttamāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (उत्तमाः द्विजाः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे प्रयोगः (vocative-sense)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa; Sarasvatī-sthāna at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottama (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim of pure conduct beholds Sarasvatī manifested at Prabhāsa—either as a radiant river-goddess rising from sacred waters or as a luminous presence near a water shrine—while the heavens open above as a promise of svarga.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī
• Prabhāsa
• svarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Darśana (reverent beholding) of a sacred presence in a holy kṣetra is itself a meritorious act when grounded in virtuous living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Sarasvatī as present at Prabhāsa (Prabhāsasthā Sarasvatī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana—visiting and beholding Sarasvatī at Prabhāsa, aligned with śubha-karman (good conduct).