Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

अघोषयंत पुरुषास्तत्र केशवशासनात् । तीर्थयात्रा प्रभासे वै कार्येति वरवर्णिनि

Transliteration

aghoṣayaṃta puruṣāstatra keśavaśāsanāt | tīrthayātrā prabhāse vai kāryeti varavarṇini

Translation

ત્યારે કેશવના આદેશથી ત્યાં પુરુષોએ ઘોષણા કરી—“હે સુન્દરી, પ્રભાસે તીર્થયાત્રા અવશ્ય કરવી.”

Word by Word

• अघोषयन्त: they proclaimed/announced
• अघोषयन्त: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: घोष् (धातु) + अङ्/अ (प्रत्यय) causative stem घोषय्
• Form: धातु: घोष् (to proclaim) णिच्-प्रयोग (causative); लकार: लङ् (Imperfect/past); पुरुष: प्रथम (3rd); वचन: बहुवचन (plural)

• पुरुषाः: men
• पुरुषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st case, nominative); बहुवचन

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

• केशवशासनात्: from/according to Keshava’s command
• केशवशासनात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक) + शासन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (केशवस्य शासनम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th case, ablative); एकवचन

• तीर्थयात्रा: pilgrimage to a sacred ford
• तीर्थयात्रा: Karma (Object/कर्म) (as quoted content)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तीर्थस्य यात्रा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (nominative); एकवचन

• प्रभासे: at Prabhāsa
• प्रभासे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th case, locative); एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• कार्येति: “(it) should be done”
• कार्येति: Kriya (Predicate within quotation/वाक्यांश-क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृत्)) + इति (अव्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त: कार्य (gerundive/obligatory: ‘to be done’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; ‘इति’ इत्युक्ति-चिह्न (quotative)

• वरवर्णिनि: O fair-complexioned lady
• वरवर्णिनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्णिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: कर्मधारय (वरः वर्णः यस्याः/या); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th case, vocative); एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta narrating (addressing a listener as vara-varṇinī); action initiated by Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Varavarṇinī (explicit vocative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Town-criers and messengers announce in streets and courtyards: ‘Prabhāsa tīrtha-yātrā must be done.’ Citizens gather; banners rise; women and elders listen; the sea-route and temple silhouettes are hinted in the distance.

Characters & Entities

• Keśava
• Prabhāsa
• Tīrthayātrā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma calls, sacred travel is not private sentiment but a shared communal vow—openly declared and collectively performed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is explicitly named as the destination for the tīrtha-yātrā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A commanded tīrthayātrā to Prabhāsa—implying snāna and other tīrtha-observances performed there.