Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मचारी शुचिर्भूत्वा हस्तपादेषु संयतः । श्रद्धावानास्तिको भावी गच्छेत्तीर्थं ततः सुधीः

Transliteration

brahmacārī śucirbhūtvā hastapādeṣu saṃyataḥ | śraddhāvānāstiko bhāvī gacchettīrthaṃ tataḥ sudhīḥ

Translation

Devenu brahmacārī et pur, maîtrisant sa conduite dans les mains et les pieds, plein de foi, théiste et animé d’une intention droite—que le sage se rende alors au tīrtha.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मचारी: a celibate student
• ब्रह्मचारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmacārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; कर्तृपद (as subject-apposition)

• शुचिः: pure
• शुचिः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकाल (having become)

• हस्तपादेषु: in (control of) hands and feet
• हस्तपादेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hasta (प्रातिपदिक) + pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative); बहुवचन; अधिकरण (in/with respect to hands and feet)

• संयतः: restrained
• संयतः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃyata (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त from √yam)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (past participle)

• श्रद्धावान्: faithful
• श्रद्धावान्: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śraddhāvat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; मतुप्-अन्त विशेषण

• आस्तिकः: a believer
• आस्तिकः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āstika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण

• भावी: well-disposed; of good conduct
• भावी: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (one who is/acts so)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तीर्थम्: to the pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-अर्थे (ablatival adverb: thereafter/from there)

• सुधीः: the wise man
• सुधीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sudhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; कर्तृपद

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (entry discipline)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame-listener(s) (unspecified)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A composed pilgrim, clean and restrained, sets out barefoot with a water-pot and staff, eyes lowered in humility; symbolic depiction of controlled hands/feet and a radiant aura of faith.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Brahmacarya
• Śraddhā
• Āstikya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer travel should be matched by inner purity—restraint, faith, and right intent make pilgrimage transformative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction concerns approaching the tīrthas of Prabhāsakṣetra in the proper state of conduct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance of brahmacarya, śauca (purity), and disciplined conduct as preparatory vows for pilgrimage.