Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 146

Devanagari script

एतस्मात्कारणाद्देवि तीर्थे चैव सुदुःखिताः । दृश्यन्ते युगमाहात्म्यात्सत्यशौचविवर्जिताः

Transliteration

etasmātkāraṇāddevi tīrthe caiva suduḥkhitāḥ | dṛśyante yugamāhātmyātsatyaśaucavivarjitāḥ

Translation

C'est pour cette raison, ô Devi, que même dans un Tirtha, on voit les gens souffrir grandement — à cause de la nature de l'âge — étant dépourvus de vérité et de pureté.

Word by Word

• एतस्मात्: from this
• एतस्मात्: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; English: ablative singular ‘from this’

• कारणात्: because of the reason
• कारणात्: Apādāna (Cause-source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; English: ablative singular ‘from (the) cause/reason’

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; English: vocative singular

• तीर्थे: at the sacred place
• तीर्थे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; English: locative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक/conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/emphasis)

• सु-दुःखिताः: very miserable
• सु-दुःखिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + दुःखित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (‘अत्यन्तं दुःखिताः’); English: masc nom pl

• दृश्यन्ते: are seen
• दृश्यन्ते: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान/present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; English: present, 3rd pl ‘are seen’

• युग-माहात्म्यात्: due to the (nature/power) of the age
• युग-माहात्म्यात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक) + माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (‘युगस्य माहात्म्यम्’/‘युग-प्रभावात्’); English: ablative singular

• सत्य-शौच-विवर्जिताः: devoid of truth and purity
• सत्य-शौच-विवर्जिताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + शौच (प्रातिपदिक) + विवर्जित (कृदन्त; वि + वर्ज् धातु → क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समासः; ‘विवर्जित’ भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) = ‘devoid of’; English: masc nom pl

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A coastal sacred town scene: the shrine and ghāṭa glow, yet pilgrims appear distressed—quarreling, impure habits, broken vows—while Devī listens to Skanda explaining the yuga’s shadow over human conduct.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī (Pārvatī)
• Prabhāsa
• Tīrtha
• Yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even sacred geography cannot substitute for inner virtues; truth and purity are essential for tīrtha-fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa tīrtha is the setting, discussed as part of Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse implies ethical discipline—satya (truth) and śauca (purity)—rather than a specific ritual.