Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

न पुण्यं लभते तत्र कर्तुं विप्र कथंचन । कर्मभूमिरियं ब्रह्मन्भोगभूमिस्तु सा स्मृता

Transliteration

na puṇyaṃ labhate tatra kartuṃ vipra kathaṃcana | karmabhūmiriyaṃ brahmanbhogabhūmistu sā smṛtā

Translation

ഹേ വിപ്രാ! അവിടെ (സ്വർഗ്ഗത്തിൽ) എങ്ങനെയും പുതിയ പുണ്യം സമ്പാദിക്കാൻ അവസരം ലഭ്യമല്ല. ഹേ ബ്രഹ്മൻ! ഇത് (മനുഷ്യലോകം) കർമ്മഭൂമിയെന്നും, അത് (സ്വർഗ്ഗം) ഭോഗഭൂമിയെന്നും സ്മൃതിയിൽ പറയുന്നു.

Word by Word

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

• पुण्यम्: merit
• पुण्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• कर्तुम्: to do/perform
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive)

• विप्र: O brāhmaṇa
• विप्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कथंचन: in any way (at all)
• कथंचन: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध/अनिश्चितता-वाचक अव्यय (in any way/at all)

• कर्मभूमिः: land of action
• कर्मभूमिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म-भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कर्मणः भूमिः)

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ब्रह्मन्: O brahman (sage)
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भोगभूमिः: land of enjoyment
• भोगभूमिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोग-भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भोगस्य भूमिः)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषण-अव्यय

• सा: that (world)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• स्मृता: is considered/called
• स्मृता: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √स्मृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) कर्मणि—‘is called/considered’

Speaker

A heavenly messenger (dūta) addressing Mudgala (contextual deduction from v.25)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two-world contrast tableau: on one side, earth with pilgrims bathing, giving alms, performing worship; on the other, svarga with beings only enjoying, unable to perform rites—captioned karma-bhūmi vs bhoga-bhūmi.

Characters & Entities

• Svarga
• Karmabhūmi
• Bhogabhūmi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human birth is precious because it enables new dharma and fresh puṇya, unlike Svarga which mainly exhausts past merit through enjoyment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is specified in this verse; it belongs to the Arbuda Khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the verse distinguishes karmic agency on earth from enjoyment in heaven.