Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

भूतानां कर्मभिर्नित्यं त्रिविधैरभयप्रदाः । प्राणायामपरा नित्यं परध्यानपरायणाः

Transliteration

bhūtānāṃ karmabhirnityaṃ trividhairabhayapradāḥ | prāṇāyāmaparā nityaṃ paradhyānaparāyaṇāḥ

Translation

അവർ ജീവികൾക്ക് നിത്യമായി ത്രിവിധ കർമ്മങ്ങളാൽ അഭയം നൽകുന്നു; എപ്പോഴും പ്രാണായാമത്തിൽ തത്പരരായി, പരദേവൻ/പരമന്റെ ധ്യാനത്തിൽ പൂർണ്ണപരായണരായിരിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• भूतानाम्: of beings
• भूतानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• कर्मभिः: by actions
• कर्मभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• त्रिविधैः: threefold
• त्रिविधैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिविध (प्रातिपदिक; त्रि+विध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (कर्मभिः इत्यस्य)

• अभयप्रदाः: granting fearlessness
• अभयप्रदाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभय-प्रद (प्रातिपदिक; अभय + प्रद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (अभयं प्रददाति इति)

• प्राणायामपराः: devoted to breath-control
• प्राणायामपराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राणायाम-पर (प्रातिपदिक; प्राण+आयाम + पर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष; विशेषण

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्यम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण

• परध्यानपरायणाः: wholly intent on meditation on the Supreme
• परध्यानपरायणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर-ध्यान-परायण (प्रातिपदिक; पर + ध्यान + परायण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष; विशेषण

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from immediate context; instruction on kṣetra-vāsins)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kṣetra-residents offering protection to creatures—feeding animals, calming frightened beings—then sitting for prāṇāyāma and meditation at dawn near the sea; breath shown as subtle waves of light.

Characters & Entities

• Prāṇāyāma
• Abhaya (fearlessness)
• Para-dhyāna (supreme meditation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual life is measured by compassion in action—making others safe—supported by yogic discipline and God-centered meditation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the ideal resident protects beings and remains absorbed in yogic practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice continual prāṇāyāma and para-dhyāna, and uphold ‘abhaya’ toward beings through consistent threefold beneficial conduct.