Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

न निवर्तति यत्प्राप्य दुष्प्राप्यं त्रिदशैरपि । प्रभासं प्रथमं तीर्थं त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम्

Transliteration

na nivartati yatprāpya duṣprāpyaṃ tridaśairapi | prabhāsaṃ prathamaṃ tīrthaṃ triṣu lokeṣu viśrutam

Translation

അതിനെ പ്രാപിച്ചാൽ പിന്നെ (ബന്ധനത്തിലേക്ക്) മടങ്ങിവരേണ്ടതില്ല; ദേവന്മാർക്കും ദുർലഭം. പ്രഭാസം ത്രിലോകപ്രസിദ്ധമായ ആദ്യത്തെ തീർത്ഥമാണ്.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation particle)

• निवर्तति: returns
• निवर्तति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• यत्: which (that)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (relative)

• प्राप्य: having attained
• प्राप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) → प्राप्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा/ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• दुष्प्राप्यम्: hard to attain
• दुष्प्राप्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुस् + प्राप्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—दुष्करं प्राप्यम् (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रयोग)

• त्रिदशैः: by the gods (thirty-three)
• त्रिदशैः: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—त्रयः दश (नामरूढ; देवाः)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle; even/also)

• प्रभासम्: Prabhāsa (tīrtha)
• प्रभासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रथमम्: first; foremost
• प्रथमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; तीर्थम् इति विशेषणम्

• तीर्थम्: pilgrimage place; sacred ford
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• त्रिषु: in the three
• त्रिषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन

• लोकेषु: worlds
• लोकेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन

• विश्रुतम्: renowned; celebrated
• विश्रुतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + श्रु (धातु) → विश्रुत (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from section flow; Devī’s questions begin at v.11)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grand coastal Śiva-kṣetra with a towering temple silhouette and radiant aura; devas in the sky gaze down in longing, while pilgrims step through a threshold marked ‘Prabhāsa—foremost tīrtha’, suggesting ‘non-return’ liberation.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa
• tridaśa (devas)
• three worlds (trailokya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa elevates Prabhāsa as a liberating pilgrimage: reaching it is depicted as leading beyond return to worldly bondage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa tīrtha (Prabhāsa-kṣetra), hailed as the foremost among tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated; the emphasis is on attaining/visiting Prabhāsa itself.