Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

अथ क्षेत्रस्थितानां च चतुराश्रमवासिनाम् । विप्राणां वृत्तितो भेदं प्रवक्ष्याम्यानुपूर्व्यशः

Transliteration

atha kṣetrasthitānāṃ ca caturāśramavāsinām | viprāṇāṃ vṛttito bhedaṃ pravakṣyāmyānupūrvyaśaḥ

Translation

ഇപ്പോൾ ഈ പുണ്യക്ഷേത്രത്തിൽ നിലകൊള്ളുകയും ചതുരാശ്രമങ്ങളിൽ വസിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്ന വിപ്രരുടെ ഉപജീവനത്തെ ആശ്രയിച്ച ഭേദങ്ങൾ ക്രമമായി ഞാൻ വിശദീകരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अथ: now; then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भ/अनन्तरार्थक (particle: “now; then”)

• क्षेत्रस्थितानाम्: of those staying in the sacred place
• क्षेत्रस्थितानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षेत्र-स्थित (कृदन्त; √स्था धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष: “situated in the kṣetra”); कृदन्त (क्त/क्तवत्-भाव: “stood/situated”); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction: “and”)

• चतुराश्रमवासिनाम्: of those belonging to the four āśramas
• चतुराश्रमवासिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्-आश्रम-वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषभाव: “dwelling in the four āśramas”); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• विप्राणाम्: of Brahmins
• विप्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन

• वृत्तितः: according to livelihood; by mode of life
• वृत्तितः: Sambandha (Ablative of basis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ/प्रकारे (in the sense “by livelihood/according to conduct”)

• भेदम्: distinction; classification
• भेदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall explain
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अनुपूर्व्यशः: in order; sequentially
• अनुपूर्व्यशः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनुपूर्व्यशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (adverb: “in due order, sequentially”)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī / Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teaching tableau: Skanda enumerates categories of kṣetra-resident brāhmaṇas—student, householder, forest-dweller, renunciant—each shown with emblematic livelihood tools (manuscript, yajña implements, austerity staff, begging bowl).

Characters & Entities

• Caturāśrama
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma in a holy place includes regulated modes of living; conduct (vṛtti) is organized and taught systematically.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, presented as a place where āśrama-dharma is carefully observed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A teaching framework is introduced: the upcoming ordered description of vṛtti-bhedas for brāhmaṇas in the kṣetra.