Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

येन क्षेत्रं समासाद्य निवृत्तिः परमा कृता । वस्तुलौल्याद्धि यः क्षेत्रे प्रतिग्रहरुचिस्तथा

Transliteration

yena kṣetraṃ samāsādya nivṛttiḥ paramā kṛtā | vastulaulyāddhi yaḥ kṣetre pratigraharucistathā

Translation

ಈ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರವನ್ನು ಸೇರಿ ನಿಜವಾಗಿ ಪರಮ ನಿವೃತ್ತಿ (ಅಗ್ರಹಣ)ವನ್ನು ಆಚರಿಸುವವನು ಪರಮ ಶ್ರೇಯಸ್ಸನ್ನು ಪಡೆಯುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಆದರೆ ವಸ್ತುಲೋಭದಿಂದ ಈ ಪವಿತ್ರ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರತಿಗ್ರಹದ ರುಚಿ ಬೆಳೆಸುವವನು ಶೋಭಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.

Word by Word

• येन: by whom/whereby
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• क्षेत्रम्: the holy place/field
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• समासाद्य: having reached
• समासाद्य: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-√सद् (धातु; ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (ल्यप्) अव्यय; पूर्वकालक्रिया (absolutive)

• निवृत्तिः: cessation/withdrawal
• निवृत्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• परमा: supreme
• परमा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (निवृत्तेः)

• कृता: done/achieved
• कृता: Kriya-visheshana / Predicate adjective (विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (predicate)

• वस्तु: objects/things
• वस्तु: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध) (within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे प्रातिपदिक; समासपूर्वपद (compound member)

• लौल्यात्: from greed/attachment
• लौल्यात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लौल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; समासः: वस्तु-लौल्य (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/हेतौ

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• क्षेत्रे: in the holy place
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• प्रतिग्रह: acceptance (of gifts)
• प्रतिग्रह: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध) (within compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रति-ग्रह (धातु √ग्रह् + उपसर्ग प्रति; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे प्रातिपदिक; समासपूर्वपद (compound member)

• रुचिः: liking/interest
• रुचिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः: प्रतिग्रह-रुचि (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तथा: likewise/so
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb of manner)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two contrasted pilgrims at Prabhāsa: one sits calmly in meditation after darśana, possessions few, face luminous; the other clutches gifts with anxious eyes, surrounded by bundles, symbolizing vastu-lolya. A sage points toward the sea-tīrtha and temple, indicating the path of nivṛtti.

Characters & Entities

• kṣetra (Prabhāsa-kṣetra)
• nivṛtti
• pratigrāha
• vastu-laulya (greed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is meant for nivṛtti (inner turning away from greed), not for cultivating appetite for gain through gifts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, referred to as ‘kṣetra’ whose purpose is supreme spiritual withdrawal.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A moral prescription: practice nivṛtti in the kṣetra and avoid greed-driven acceptance of gifts.