Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

पुत्रक्षेत्रकलत्रादिव्यापारैकरतः सदा । विहायाथ स गार्हस्थ्यं धनार्थं लोभ मोहितः । प्रचचार महीमेतां सग्रामनगरांतराम्

Transliteration

putrakṣetrakalatrādivyāpāraikarataḥ sadā | vihāyātha sa gārhasthyaṃ dhanārthaṃ lobha mohitaḥ | pracacāra mahīmetāṃ sagrāmanagarāṃtarām

Translation

Toujours absorbé par les affaires de fils, de terres, d’épouse et autres, il abandonna ensuite les devoirs de la vie de maître de maison. Aveuglé par l’avidité des richesses, il erra sur cette terre, passant de villages en cités.

Word by Word

• पुत्रक्षेत्रकलत्रादिव्यापारैकरतः: always solely engaged in affairs of son, land, wife, etc.
• पुत्रक्षेत्रकलत्रादिव्यापारैकरतः: Karta (कर्ता) / Qualifier of सः
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुत्र + क्षेत्र + कलत्र + आदि + व्यापार + एकरत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (पुत्र-क्षेत्र-कलत्र-आदि-व्यापारेषु एकरतः = one solely engaged in activities concerning son, land, wife, etc.)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नित्यत्ववाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of frequency)

• विहाय: having abandoned
• विहाय: Kriyā (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हा (धातु) + क्त्वा-लोप (अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) from वि+√हा; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having abandoned)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक निपात (then/now)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गार्हस्थ्यम्: householder life
• गार्हस्थ्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गार्हस्थ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• धनार्थम्: for the sake of wealth
• धनार्थम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (धनस्य अर्थः/प्रयोजनम्)

• लोभ: by greed
• लोभ: Hetu/Karaṇa (हेतु/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (छन्दसि/प्रयोगे विभक्त्यन्तर-लोपः सम्भवः)

• मोहितः: deluded
• मोहितः: Karta (कर्ता) / Qualifier of सः
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √मुह् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• प्रचचार: wandered about
• प्रचचार: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+√चर् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• महीम्: the earth, land
• महीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एताम्: this
• एताम्: Karma (कर्म) / Qualifier of महीम्
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• सग्रामनगरांतराम्: with villages and towns in between
• सग्रामनगरांतराम्: Karma (कर्म) / Qualifier of महीम्
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + ग्राम + नगर + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष/बहुव्रीहि-सदृश प्रयोगः (ग्राम-नगर-अन्तरैः सह/युक्ताम् = with villages and towns in between)

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (narratorial voice within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsakṣetra (as point of departure)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devaśarmā leaves his household, carrying travel gear, moving through dusty roads between villages and towns; his face shows worry and fixation on gain.

Characters & Entities

• Devaśarmā (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Greed-driven pursuit of wealth, when it causes abandonment of one’s dharma, becomes the seed of suffering and later karmic downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra remains the narrative backdrop, though this verse focuses on the character’s departure into worldly wandering.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is stated; the verse highlights the ethical obligation to uphold gārhasthya-dharma rather than abandon it for greed.