Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 203

Devanagari script

पठति श्रद्धयोपेतो यो वा भूमिपते नरः । सोऽपि यात्राफलं राजंल्लभते पुरुषोत्तमः

Transliteration

paṭhati śraddhayopeto yo vā bhūmipate naraḥ | so'pi yātrāphalaṃ rājaṃllabhate puruṣottamaḥ

Translation

ഹേ ഭൂമിപതേ, ശ്രദ്ധയോടെ ഇതു വായിക്കുന്ന മനുഷ്യനും, ഹേ രാജൻ, തീർത്ഥയാത്രയുടെ ഫലം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു; അവൻ പുരുഷോത്തമൻ ആകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• paṭhati: reads/recites
• paṭhati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: paṭh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular)

• śraddhayā: with faith
• śraddhayā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śraddhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (f.), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम् (sg.)

• upetaḥ: endowed (with)
• upetaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upa-√i (धातु) + upeta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त), पुंलिङ्गः (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nom./1st), एकवचनम् (sg.); विशेषणम्

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nom./1st), एकवचनम् (sg.); सम्बन्धसूचकः (relative pronoun)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्ययम् (disjunctive particle: 'or')

• bhūmipate: O lord of the land (king)
• bhūmipate: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Voc./8th), पुंलिङ्गः (m.), एकवचनम् (sg.); तत्पुरुषसमासः (भूमेः पतिः)

• naraḥ: man
• naraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nom./1st), एकवचनम् (sg.)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nom./1st), एकवचनम् (sg.)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्ययम् (particle: 'also/even')

• yātrāphalam: the fruit of the pilgrimage
• yātrāphalam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātrā + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः (n.), द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Acc./2nd), एकवचनम् (sg.); तत्पुरुषसमासः (यात्रायाः फलम्)

• rājan: O king
• rājan: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Voc./8th), पुंलिङ्गः (m.), एकवचनम् (sg.)

• labhate: obtains
• labhate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (sg.)

• puruṣottamaḥ: the best of men / supreme person
• puruṣottamaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nom./1st), एकवचनम् (sg.); कर्मधारयसमासः (उत्तमः पुरुषः)

Speaker

Pulastya (deduced from immediate continuation in Adhyāya 37)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-māhātmya (paṭhana-yātrā-phala)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (bhūmipati, rājā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee reads the Arbuda-māhātmya from a manuscript; behind him appears a faint visionary image of Arbuda, implying pilgrimage-fruit attained through reading.

Characters & Entities

• Yātrā-phala
• Śraddhā
• Pāṭha (reading/recitation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional reading/recitation with faith can transmit the same merit as physically undertaking pilgrimage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda-kṣetra is praised indirectly through its māhātmya: reading it grants Arbuda-yātrā’s fruit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Pāṭha/paṛāyaṇa—faithful reading or recitation of the sacred account.