Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

पादेन वा क्रीडमाना जलं लिप्संति ये नरा । तेषामपि श्राद्धफलं विधिवत्संभविष्यति । तत्र लिंगानि पूज्यानि शूलभेदादिकानि तु

Transliteration

pādena vā krīḍamānā jalaṃ lipsaṃti ye narā | teṣāmapi śrāddhaphalaṃ vidhivatsaṃbhaviṣyati | tatra liṃgāni pūjyāni śūlabhedādikāni tu

Translation

Même ceux qui, ne faisant que jouer avec leurs pieds, éclaboussent ou boivent l’eau par hasard, verront naître pour eux aussi, selon le rite, le fruit du śrāddha. Là, les Liṅgas doivent être vénérés, tels Śūlabheda et les autres.

Word by Word

• पादेन: with the foot
• पादेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: 'or')

• क्रीडमाना: playing
• क्रीडमाना: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रीड् (धातु) + शानच् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक-कर्तरि-शतृ/शानच् कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'नराः' इति विशेषणवत्

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• लिप्सन्ति: desire to obtain
• लिप्सन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप्स् (धातु, desiderative of √लभ्)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (3rd plural present)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject marker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (relative pronoun: nominative plural)

• नराः: men, people
• नराः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (particle: 'also/even')

• श्राद्धफलम्: the fruit of śrāddha (rite)
• श्राद्धफलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष समास (श्राद्धस्य फलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (here: Nominative singular)

• विधिवत्: properly, as prescribed
• विधिवत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: 'according to rule')

• सम्भविष्यति: will occur/come to be
• सम्भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd singular future)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: 'there')

• लिङ्गानि: liṅgas (emblems)
• लिङ्गानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (here: Nominative plural)

• पूज्यानि: worthy to be worshipped
• पूज्यानि: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्तव्य/योग्यतार्थक कृदन्त (gerundive: 'to be worshipped'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; 'लिङ्गानि' इति विशेषणम्

• शूलभेदादिकानि: such as the spear-splitting (etc.) ones
• शूलभेदादिकानि: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक) + भेद (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + क (तद्धित)
• Form: समाहार/निर्देशार्थक तत्पुरुष-प्राय समास (शूलभेद-आदि-प्रकाराणि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; 'लिङ्गानि' इति विशेषणम्

• तु: indeed, and
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: 'but/indeed')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa waters and Śūlabheda-ādi liṅgas

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/devotees (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Children and pilgrims at the Prabhāsa waters splash playfully, while priests nearby conduct formal śrāddha; in the background stand multiple liṅga shrines, one labeled Śūlabheda, inviting a devotional circuit.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Liṅga
• Śūlabheda (liṅga name)
• Prabhāsa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Prabhāsa is depicted as so sanctifying that even casual contact with its waters can mature into śrāddha-like merit, encouraging reverence for the place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra and its tīrtha waters, along with its revered liṅga-shrines such as Śūlabheda.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship of the local liṅgas (e.g., Śūlabheda) and the implied sanctity of tīrtha-water contact connected to śrāddha merit.