Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

एकं यदि भवेत्तीर्थं मनो निःसंशयं भवेत् । बहुत्वे सति तीर्थानां मनो विचलते नृणाम्

Transliteration

ekaṃ yadi bhavettīrthaṃ mano niḥsaṃśayaṃ bhavet | bahutve sati tīrthānāṃ mano vicalate nṛṇām

Translation

S’il n’y avait qu’un seul tīrtha, l’esprit demeurerait sans doute ; mais lorsque les tīrthas sont nombreux, l’esprit des hommes chancelle et s’agite.

Word by Word

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying तीर्थम्)

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

• भवेत्: would be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तीर्थम्: a sacred place
• तीर्थम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• मनः: the mind
• मनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निःसंशयम्: undoubtedly
• निःसंशयम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निः + संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय (adverb) = without doubt

• भवेत्: would become/be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• बहुत्वे: in multiplicity/when many
• बहुत्वे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहुत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• सति: when there is/being
• सति: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय, present participle), सप्तमी-एकवचन; सप्तमी-सम्बन्धे (locative absolute) = ‘when/while being’

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

• मनः: the mind
• मनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विचलते: wavers/is unsteady
• विचलते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + चल् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• नृणाम्: of men/people
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

Speaker

Pārvatī (Devī) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (as the recommended singular focus)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reflective maxim: one tīrtha brings certainty; many tīrthas make the human mind waver—depict inner mind as a lake becoming rippled by choices.

Characters & Entities

• tīrtha
• nṛ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion becomes firm when the goal is clear; spiritual life benefits from focused faith rather than restless comparison.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly Prabhāsa—requested as the single supreme tīrtha to remove doubt.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse addresses mental steadiness (niścaya) in pilgrimage choice.