Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

संसारसागरं घोरमुत्तितीर्षुर्द्विजो यदि । प्रभासे कार्त्तिके मासि ब्रह्माणं पूजयेत्सदा

Transliteration

saṃsārasāgaraṃ ghoramuttitīrṣurdvijo yadi | prabhāse kārttike māsi brahmāṇaṃ pūjayetsadā

Translation

ഒരു ദ്വിജൻ ഈ ഭയങ്കരമായ സംസാരസാഗരം കടക്കാൻ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നുവെങ്കിൽ, പ്രഭാസത്തിൽ കാർത്തികമാസത്തിൽ സദാ ബ്രഹ്മാവിനെ പൂജിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• संसारसागरम्: the ocean of worldly existence
• संसारसागरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार + सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; समासः: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (संसारस्य सागरः) — Genitive Tatpurusha

• घोरम्: terrible
• घोरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; विशेषणम् (संसारसागरम्)

• उत्तितीर्षुः: wishing to cross over
• उत्तितीर्षुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-तॄ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Present participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular; अर्थः: ‘to desire to cross’ (तितीर्षु-इच्छार्थक)

• द्विजः: a twice-born (Brāhmaṇa etc.)
• द्विजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्त-निपात (conditional particle)

• प्रभासे: in Prabhāsa
• प्रभासे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular

• कार्त्तिके: in (the month of) Kārttika
• कार्त्तिके: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्त्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular; विशेषणम् (मासि)

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular

• ब्रह्माणम्: Brahmā
• ब्रह्माणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Optative, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dvija pilgrim at Prabhāsa in Kārttika, facing a Brahmā shrine, offering flowers and water with a calm, resolute expression; the sea-like expanse symbolizing saṃsāra is hinted in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Kārttika-māsa
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage-time (Kārttika) and sacred-place (Prabhāsa) intensify worship into a path aimed at liberation from saṃsāra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, celebrated as a powerful locus for Kārttika worship leading toward transcendence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

During Kārttika at Prabhāsa, maintain regular/continuous worship of Brahmā to seek deliverance from worldly bondage.