Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

नियतो नियताहारो गच्छेच्चैव ततः पथि । कामक्रोधौ परित्यज्य लोभमोहौ तथैव च

Transliteration

niyato niyatāhāro gaccheccaiva tataḥ pathi | kāmakrodhau parityajya lobhamohau tathaiva ca

Translation

നിയമനിഷ്ഠനായി, നിയന്ത്രിതാഹാരത്തോടെ മനുഷ്യൻ പിന്നെ പഥത്തിൽ മുന്നേറണം; കാമവും ക്രോധവും, അതുപോലെ ലോഭവും മോഹവും ഉപേക്ഷിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• नियतः: disciplined/restrained
• नियतः: Karta (Agent as qualified/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + यम् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• नियताहारः: having regulated food/diet
• नियताहारः: Karta (Agent as qualified/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियत (प्रातिपदिक) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (नियतः आहारः यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Coordination/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• ततः: then/from there
• ततः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादान/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (from there/thereafter)

• पथि: on the path
• पथि: Adhikarana (Location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (पथिन्-शब्द)

• कामक्रोधौ: desire and anger
• कामक्रोधौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन

• परित्यज्य: having abandoned
• परित्यज्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि + त्यज् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: ल्यबन्त-अव्यय (absolutive), पूर्वकाले

• लोभमोहौ: greed and delusion
• लोभमोहौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोभ (प्रातिपदिक) + मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन

• तथा: likewise/so
• तथा: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Coordination/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra / Someśvara (Somanātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (addressed as ‘mahādevi’ in the surrounding passage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim sets out on a dusty road toward the sea-coast shrine of Someśvara, carrying a water-pot and staff, calm-faced, turning away from personified Kāma and Krodha; the path is depicted as a moral journey.

Characters & Entities

• Niyama
• Yātrā-mārga (path)
• Kāma
• Krodha
• Lobha
• Moha
• Somanātha (context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha-yātrā is a moving vow: conquering inner enemies (desire, anger, greed, delusion) is part of reaching the holy place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The counsel belongs to the Somanātha/Prabhāsakṣetra pilgrimage instructions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Maintain niyama and regulated diet while traveling, and practice moral restraint by abandoning kāma, krodha, lobha, and moha.