Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

अतो वसंते संप्राप्ते प्रयाणं कुरु भूपते । निगृह्य नियमान्भूत्वा शुचिः स्नातो जितेन्द्रियः

Transliteration

ato vasaṃte saṃprāpte prayāṇaṃ kuru bhūpate | nigṛhya niyamānbhūtvā śuciḥ snāto jitendriyaḥ

Translation

Ainsi, lorsque le printemps est venu, ô roi, mets-toi en route : observant les disciplines, purifié, baigné, et maître de tes sens.

Word by Word

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Discourse/Reason adverb
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (therefore)

• वसन्ते: in spring
• वसन्ते: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative singular)

• संप्राप्ते: when (it has) arrived
• संप्राप्ते: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+प्राप् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्) → संप्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• प्रयाणम्: journey/departure
• प्रयाणम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• कुरु: do/make
• कुरु: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (imperative, 2nd sg)

• भूपते: O king
• भूपते: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (vocative)

• निगृह्य: having restrained
• निगृह्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि+ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• नियमान्: rules/observances
• नियमान्: Karma (Object of nigṛhya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (accusative plural)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• शुचिः: pure/clean
• शुचिः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• स्नातः: bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + क्त → स्नात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• जितेन्द्रियः: one who has conquered the senses
• जितेन्द्रियः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (जितानि इन्द्रियाणि यस्य सः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced; instruction to a king within the narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhūpati (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king receives injunction to depart in spring: the road ahead, pilgrims with staffs, fresh blossoms, and a sense of disciplined readiness—bathing, clean garments, controlled demeanor.

Characters & Entities

• spring (vasanta)
• niyama (discipline)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is a discipline of transformation—outer travel should be matched by inner restraint and purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (within the Prabhāsa region), approached through a disciplined yātrā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertake the journey in spring while observing niyamas, maintaining cleanliness, bathing, and practicing control of the senses.