Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

यदि प्रभासं सर्वेषां तीर्थानां प्रवरं मतम् । किमन्यैर्बहुभिस्तत्र कर्त्तव्यं तीर्थविस्तरैः

Transliteration

yadi prabhāsaṃ sarveṣāṃ tīrthānāṃ pravaraṃ matam | kimanyairbahubhistatra karttavyaṃ tīrthavistaraiḥ

Translation

Si Prabhāsa est tenu pour le plus éminent de tous les tīrthas, à quoi bon alors s’étendre sur tant d’autres tīrthas ?

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle: if)

• प्रभासम्: Prabhāsa (tīrtha)
• प्रभासम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; वाक्ये विषय (topic)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying तीर्थानाम्)

• तीर्थानाम्: of sacred places
• तीर्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• प्रवरम्: the best
• प्रवरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying प्रभासम्)

• मतम्: is considered
• मतम्: Kriya (Predicative complement/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘considered/held (to be)’

• किम्: what (need)
• किम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्ययप्राय (interrogative: what use?)

• अन्यैः: with others/other (tīrthas)
• अन्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• बहुभिः: many
• बहुभिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying अन्यैः)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• कर्त्तव्यम्: to be done/needed
• कर्त्तव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्-प्रत्यय, gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be done/necessary)

• तीर्थविस्तरैः: by (various) extensions/varieties of tīrthas
• तीर्थविस्तरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ + विस्तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (तीर्थाणां विस्तारैः = by expansions/varieties of tīrthas)

Speaker

Pārvatī (Devī) (deduced from subsequent address by Īśvara: “śṛṇu devi…”)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A declarative praise: Prabhāsa is the foremost tīrtha; the speaker dismisses lengthy enumeration of other sacred fords.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When one attains the supreme sacred kṣetra, lesser comparisons and lengthy catalogues become secondary; focus on the highest refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa (Prabhāsakṣetra), praised as foremost among all tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse frames Prabhāsa’s unsurpassed status to motivate focused pilgrimage and hearing of its māhātmya.