Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

सुतप्तेनेह तपसा यज्ञैर्वा बहुदक्षिणैः । तां गतिं न नरा यान्ति यां गताः सूर्यमाश्रिताः

Transliteration

sutapteneha tapasā yajñairvā bahudakṣiṇaiḥ | tāṃ gatiṃ na narā yānti yāṃ gatāḥ sūryamāśritāḥ

Translation

ഇവിടെ കഠിനതപസ്സു ചെയ്താലും, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ധാരാളം ദക്ഷിണയോടുകൂടിയ യജ്ഞങ്ങൾ നടത്തിയാലും, മനുഷ്യർ ആ ഗതിയെ പ്രാപിക്കുകയില്ല; സൂര്യനെ ആശ്രയിച്ചവർ പ്രാപിക്കുന്ന ഗതിയേ അതു.

Word by Word

• सुतप्तेन: well-performed, well-austered
• सुतप्तेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुतप्त (प्रातिपदिक; सु + तप् + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसक/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (तपसा)

• इह: here (in this world)
• इह: Adhikaraṇa (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: here/in this world)

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यज्ञैः: by sacrifices
• यज्ञैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• बहुदक्षिणैः: with many fees/donations
• बहुदक्षिणैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (बह्व्यः दक्षिणाः येषु ते)

• ताम्: that
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गतिम्: state/goal, destination
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• नराः: men, people
• नराः: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• यान्ति: go, attain
• यान्ति: Kriyā (Predicate verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present indicative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• याम्: which
• याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• गताः: having gone, attained
• गताः: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘gone/attained’

• सूर्यम्: the Sun
• सूर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आश्रिताः: having taken refuge in, devoted to
• आश्रिताः: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘having resorted to’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, phala comparison in Prabhāsa Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Sūrya-śaraṇāgati)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contrast tableau: on one side ascetics performing fierce tapas and priests conducting grand yajñas with heaps of dakṣiṇā; on the other, a simple devotee with folded hands taking refuge in the radiant Sūrya—yet the devotee’s path shines brighter.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Yajña
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Refuge (āśraya) in the deity is presented as surpassing even arduous asceticism and costly ritual in granting the highest spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where Sūrya devotion is praised as uniquely potent.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is prescribed; the verse ranks outcomes, exalting Sūrya-āśraya above tapas and yajña with large dakṣiṇā.