Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

पुंसां प्रदर्शनं चैव हास्यं तमसि वर्जयेत् । सशब्दोपानहौ चैव नृत्यं गतिं च वर्जयेत्

Transliteration

puṃsāṃ pradarśanaṃ caiva hāsyaṃ tamasi varjayet | saśabdopānahau caiva nṛtyaṃ gatiṃ ca varjayet

Translation

ಪುರುಷರ ಮುಂದೆ ತನ್ನನ್ನು ಪ್ರದರ್ಶಿಸುವುದು ಮತ್ತು ಕತ್ತಲಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನಗುವುದು—ಇವೆರಡನ್ನೂ ವರ್ಜಿಸಬೇಕು. ಶಬ್ದ ಮಾಡುವ ಪಾದುಕಗಳು, ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ನೃತ್ಯ ಮತ್ತು ಅಲೆದಾಟವನ್ನೂ ಬಿಡಬೇಕು।

Word by Word

• पुंसाम्: of men
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुम्स्/पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• प्रदर्शनम्: showing/display
• प्रदर्शनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + दृश् (धातु) + अन (प्रत्यय) → प्रदर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भाववाचक-क्तिन्/अन-प्रत्ययान्त (action-noun)

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

• एव: indeed/also
• एव: Sambandha (particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• हास्यम्: laughter/joking
• हास्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तमसि: in darkness
• तमसि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• वर्जयेत्: should avoid
• वर्जयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सशब्दोपानहौ: noisy footwear (pair of shoes)
• सशब्दोपानहौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स + शब्द + उपानह् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन; उपानहौ (dual) ‘two shoes’; उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयभाव (सशब्दौ उपानहौ = noisy shoes)

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

• एव: also
• एव: Sambandha (particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• नृत्यम्: dancing
• नृत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गतिम्: going/movement
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

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

• वर्जयेत्: should avoid
• वर्जयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (vrata-niyama)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dusk in Prabhāsa, a vrata-observant pilgrim moves quietly with soft sandals, avoids dancing and idle roaming, keeps to a lamp-lit path toward the temple, maintaining modesty and silence.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage vows emphasize modesty, quietude, and avoidance of distraction to safeguard tapas and concentration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where such yātrā-niyamas are prescribed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Behavioral restraints: modest conduct, avoid nocturnal frivolity, noisy adornment, dancing, and aimless wandering.