Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

योऽभिवांछति भोक्तुं वै दुःखान्येकांततो जनः । पापात्पापतरं तं हि प्रवदंति मुमुक्षवः

Transliteration

yo'bhivāṃchati bhoktuṃ vai duḥkhānyekāṃtato janaḥ | pāpātpāpataraṃ taṃ hi pravadaṃti mumukṣavaḥ

Translation

જે મનુષ્ય એકાંતથી માત્ર દુઃખો જ ‘ભોગવવા’ ઇચ્છે છે, તેને મુમુક્ષુઓ પાપ કરતાં પણ વધુ પાપી કહે છે.

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who (he who)
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• abhivāñchati: desires intensely
• abhivāñchati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhivāñch (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• bhoktum: to experience/consume
• bhoktum: Karma-prayojana (कर्म-प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhuj (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/निश्चयार्थक

• duḥkhāni: sufferings
• duḥkhāni: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• ekāntataḥ: entirely; absolutely
• ekāntataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ekānta (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तसिल्)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): 'from/entirely'

• janaḥ: a person
• janaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• pāpāt: than sin; from sin
• pāpāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• pāpataram: more sinful (a greater sin)
• pāpataram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + tara (तरप्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; तरप्-प्रत्यय (comparative)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• hi: for/indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थक

• pravadaṃti: declare; say
• pravadaṃti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+vad (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• mumukṣavaḥ: seekers of liberation
• mumukṣavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mumukṣu (प्रातिपदिक; desiderative noun from √muc)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Unnamed ṛṣi (contextual speaker within the narrative; later Śiva speaks at v.24)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage speaks with firm moral force; his gesture is admonitory, not angry—like a compassionate warrior of dharma. Fishermen or bystanders appear chastened; the sea and nets frame the ethical confrontation.

Characters & Entities

• mumukṣu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Delighting in suffering (one’s own or others’) is condemned; liberation-minded people uphold compassion as higher dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra is the narrative setting; its māhātmya frames ethical purification alongside pilgrimage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the emphasis is ethical—renouncing cruel intention and cultivating a mokṣa-aligned mind.