Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्यज्ञाः प्रवर्त्तंते प्राणिनामिष्टदायिनः । न कामादिप्रवृत्तिश्च तस्मिन्संजायते नृणाम्

Transliteration

tasminyajñāḥ pravarttaṃte prāṇināmiṣṭadāyinaḥ | na kāmādipravṛttiśca tasminsaṃjāyate nṛṇām

Translation

ಆ ಯುಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಯಜ್ಞಗಳು ಪ್ರವರ್ತಿಸುತ್ತವೆ; ಅವು ಪ್ರಾಣಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಇಷ್ಟಫಲವನ್ನು ನೀಡುತ್ತವೆ. ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ಮನುಷ್ಯರಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಮಾದಿಯಿಂದ ಪ್ರೇರಿತ ಪ್ರವೃತ್ತಿ ಹುಟ್ಟುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that (age)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (Pronoun; Locative singular)

• यज्ञाः: sacrifices
• यज्ञाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative plural)

• प्रवर्तन्ते: proceed/are undertaken
• प्रवर्तन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद (Present indicative, 3rd person plural, ātmanepada)

• प्राणिनाम्: of living beings
• प्राणिनाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन (Masculine, Genitive plural)

• इष्टदायिनः: granting desired (boons)
• इष्टदायिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष्ट + दायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (Masculine, Nominative plural; adjective)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• कामादिप्रवृत्तिः: impulse toward desire etc.
• कामादिप्रवृत्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम + आदि + प्रवृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘कामादीनां प्रवृत्तिः’ (Feminine, Nominative singular; activity/impulse of desire etc.)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तस्मिन्: in that (age)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (Pronoun; Locative singular)

• संजायते: arises/comes into being
• संजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (Present indicative, 3rd person singular, ātmanepada)

• नृणाम्: of men/people
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन (Masculine, Genitive plural)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not stated in snippet)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A thriving sacrificial ground: multiple yajña-kuṇḍas, orderly priests, offerings, and satisfied householders; the atmosphere is disciplined, not indulgent; gods subtly receiving oblations.

Characters & Entities

• Yajña
• Tretā-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When society is rooted in yajña and duty, desire-driven disorder naturally diminishes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the broader Arbuda-khaṇḍa’s sacred teaching framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Yajña is highlighted as the prevailing righteous practice that grants desired fruits to beings.