Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

संतानमुत्तमं लब्ध्वा भुक्त्वा भोगाननुत्तमान् । दिव्यं विमानमारुह्य प्रान्ते याति सुरालयम्

Transliteration

saṃtānamuttamaṃ labdhvā bhuktvā bhogānanuttamān | divyaṃ vimānamāruhya prānte yāti surālayam

Translation

Ayant obtenu une descendance excellente et goûté des délices sans pareils, à la fin il monte dans un vimāna divin et gagne la demeure des dieux.

Word by Word

• संतानम्: offspring/progeny
• संतानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संतान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (संतानस्य)

• लब्ध्वा: having obtained
• लब्ध्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/ल्यप्-प्रत्यय, ‘having obtained’), अव्ययभाव

• भुक्त्वा: having enjoyed
• भुक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive), अव्ययभाव

• भोगान्: enjoyments
• भोगान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; कर्म

• अनुत्तमान्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (भोगानाम्)

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (विमानस्य)

• विमानम्: a celestial chariot
• विमानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• आरुह्य: having mounted
• आरुह्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-रुह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive), अव्ययभाव

• प्रान्ते: at the end
• प्रान्ते: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (समये/अवसाने)

• याति: goes/attains
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुरालयम्: the abode of the gods
• सुरालयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर-आलय (प्रातिपदिक; सुर + आलय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सुराणाम् आलयः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (King) implied by nearby address in the passage

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pious pilgrim, crowned by merit, is received by devas; a radiant vimāna descends amid celestial light as the pilgrim ascends toward Svarga, with Prabhāsa’s sacred landscape hinted below.

Characters & Entities

• Surālaya (abode of the gods)
• Vimāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma performed in the tīrtha framework is said to bless both worldly welfare (progeny) and posthumous uplift (heavenly attainment).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions as a general phalaśruti within the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra narrative rather than naming a new site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed here; it states the promised fruit (phala) of the preceding tīrtha/śrāddha practices.