Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

क्षेत्रस्य संन्यासविधिं ये जानंति द्विजातयः । वृत्तिभेदं क्रमाच्चैव ते क्षेत्रफलभागिनः

Transliteration

kṣetrasya saṃnyāsavidhiṃ ye jānaṃti dvijātayaḥ | vṛttibhedaṃ kramāccaiva te kṣetraphalabhāginaḥ

Translation

ഈ ക്ഷേത്രത്തിലെ സന്ന്യാസവിധിയും ക്രമപ്രകാരം ജീവികാഭേദങ്ങളും അറിയുന്ന ദ്വിജന്മാർ തന്നെയാണ് ഈ പുണ്യക്ഷേത്രഫലത്തിൽ പങ്കാളികളാകുന്നത്।

Word by Word

• क्षेत्रस्य: of the sacred place (kṣetra)
• क्षेत्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• संन्यासविधिम्: the procedure of renunciation
• संन्यासविधिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संन्यास-विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: “rule/procedure of renunciation”); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• जानन्ति: know
• जानन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• द्विजातयः: twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• द्विजातयः: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि-जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (द्विगु/कर्मधारयभाव: “twice-born”); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• वृत्तिभेदम्: distinction of livelihoods
• वृत्तिभेदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति-भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: “difference of livelihood”); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• क्रमात्: in sequence; step by step
• क्रमात्: Sambandha (Ablative of manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (in the sense “in order/stepwise”)

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (particle: “indeed; just”)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• क्षेत्रफलभागिनः: partakers of the fruit of the sacred place
• क्षेत्रफलभागिनः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षेत्र-फल-भागिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: “sharer of the fruit of the kṣetra”); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Śiva (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A addressed as varānanā/bhāminī (fair-faced lady)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned dvija at Prabhāsa instructs a listener on the renunciant code and graded livelihoods for kṣetra-residents; in the background, the sea-coast tīrtha with Somnātha’s silhouette and pilgrims performing restrained rites.

Characters & Entities

• Dvijāti
• Saṃnyāsa
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred-place merit is not automatic; it is fully gained through right knowledge and disciplined observance (especially renunciation-rules and proper conduct).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, whose ‘fruit’ (kṣetraphala) is promised to those who live and practice correctly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Adherence to the kṣetra’s saṃnyāsa-vidhi and orderly observance of prescribed modes of living (vṛtti-bheda).