Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

बुभूषता परं धर्मं शरणागतसंभवम् । कामात्क्रोधाद्भयाल्लोभाद्यस्त्यजेच्छरणागतम्

Transliteration

bubhūṣatā paraṃ dharmaṃ śaraṇāgatasaṃbhavam | kāmātkrodhādbhayāllobhādyastyajeccharaṇāgatam

Translation

ശരണാഗതരെ സംരക്ഷിക്കുന്നതിൽ നിന്നു ജനിക്കുന്ന പരമധർമ്മം പാലിക്കുവാൻ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നവൻ—കാമം, ക്രോധം, ഭയം അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ലോഭം മൂലം ശരണാഗതനെ ഉപേക്ഷിച്ചാൽ അവൻ നിന്ദ്യൻ.

Word by Word

• बुभूषता: by one wishing (to uphold)
• बुभूषता: Karana (Instrument/Agent circumstance/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भू (धातु) + सन् (सन्-प्रत्यय; desiderative) → बुभूष् (धातु) + तृ (शतृ/वर्तमानकृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle, शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; ‘wishing to be/do’

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• धर्मम्: dharma
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• शरणागतसम्भवम्: born of (protecting) the refuge-seeker
• शरणागतसम्भवम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शरणागत-सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक; शरणागत + सम्भव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (arising from/connected with one who has sought refuge)

• कामात्: from desire
• कामात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (cause)

• क्रोधात्: from anger
• क्रोधात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (cause)

• भयात्: from fear
• भयात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (cause)

• लोभात्: from greed
• लोभात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (cause)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• त्यजेत्: should abandon
• त्यजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शरणागतम्: a refuge-seeker
• शरणागतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरणागत (प्रातिपदिक; शरण + आगत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (one who has come for refuge)

Speaker

Samudra (Sāgara), lord of rivers

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārvatī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: Samudra (or a king-like figure) proclaiming the law of refuge before brāhmaṇas; behind, symbolic figures of Kāma, Krodha, Bhaya, Lobha shown as shadowy tempters being rejected.

Characters & Entities

• Śaraṇāgata (refuge-seeker)
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Protecting a refuge-seeker is presented as ‘supreme dharma’; abandoning them due to inner vices is a grave moral failure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where dharma is taught through sacred narrative connected to the ocean and the gods.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated; the verse gives an ethical injunction central to dharma.