Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 185

Devanagari script

पूर्णाहुत्या परा प्रीतिर्जायते मम सुन्दरि । शुश्रूषा वल्लभं कष्टं यतीनां च तपस्विनाम्

Transliteration

pūrṇāhutyā parā prītirjāyate mama sundari | śuśrūṣā vallabhaṃ kaṣṭaṃ yatīnāṃ ca tapasvinām

Translation

Ô belle, par la pūrṇāhuti, l’offrande accomplie, naît en moi la joie suprême. Le service (śuśrūṣā) rendu aux yatis, et les rudes peines portées par les renonçants et les tapasvins, me sont chers.

Word by Word

• पूर्णाहुत्या: by a complete oblation
• पूर्णाहुत्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्णाहुति (प्रातिपदिक; पूर्ण + आहुति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; हेतु/करणार्थे

• परा: supreme
• परा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — agrees with प्रीतिः

• प्रीतिः: delight, affection
• प्रीतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• जायते: arises
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — Present 3rd sg (Ātmanepada)

• मम: of me, my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन — Genitive singular (pronoun)

• सुन्दरि: O beautiful one
• सुन्दरि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुन्दरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Vocative singular

• शुश्रूषा: service, attentive attendance
• शुश्रूषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुश्रूषा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• वल्लभम्: dear, pleasing
• वल्लभम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वल्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — predicative with implied (इदम्) / qualifies शुश्रूषा as प्रियं

• कष्टम्: difficult, hard
• कष्टम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — predicative; ‘difficult’

• यतीनाम्: of ascetics
• यतीनाम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन — Genitive plural

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय — conjunction

• तपस्विनाम्: of austerity-practitioners
• तपस्विनाम्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन — Genitive plural

Speaker

Śaṅkara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī/Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fire-altar scene at the kṣetra: flames rise as the final oblation is offered; Śiva’s delight is shown as a gentle radiance. Nearby, pilgrims wash the feet of a yati, offering simple food and cloth, emphasizing sevā.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī
• Yatī
• Tapasvin

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual completeness and compassionate support of ascetics are highly valued in Śaiva dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra Māhātmya within Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform the pūrṇāhuti (final oblation) properly; practice service to yatis and tapasvins.