Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

पुत्रक्षेत्रकलत्रादिव्यापारैकरतः सदा । विहायाथ स गार्हस्थ्यं धनार्थं लोभ मोहितः । प्रचचार महीमेतां सग्रामनगरांतराम्

Transliteration

putrakṣetrakalatrādivyāpāraikarataḥ sadā | vihāyātha sa gārhasthyaṃ dhanārthaṃ lobha mohitaḥ | pracacāra mahīmetāṃ sagrāmanagarāṃtarām

Translation

അവൻ എപ്പോഴും പുത്രൻ, ഭൂമി, ഭാര്യ മുതലായ കാര്യവ്യാപാരങ്ങളിൽ മാത്രം ലീനനായിരുന്നു. പിന്നെ ധനലോഭത്തിൽ മോഹിതനായി ഗാർഹസ്ഥധർമ്മം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച് ഗ്രാമനഗരങ്ങൾക്കിടയിൽ ഈ ഭൂമിയിൽ അലഞ്ഞുതിരിഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• पुत्रक्षेत्रकलत्रादिव्यापारैकरतः: always solely engaged in affairs of son, land, wife, etc.
• पुत्रक्षेत्रकलत्रादिव्यापारैकरतः: Karta (कर्ता) / Qualifier of सः
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुत्र + क्षेत्र + कलत्र + आदि + व्यापार + एकरत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (पुत्र-क्षेत्र-कलत्र-आदि-व्यापारेषु एकरतः = one solely engaged in activities concerning son, land, wife, etc.)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नित्यत्ववाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of frequency)

• विहाय: having abandoned
• विहाय: Kriyā (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हा (धातु) + क्त्वा-लोप (अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) from वि+√हा; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having abandoned)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक निपात (then/now)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गार्हस्थ्यम्: householder life
• गार्हस्थ्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गार्हस्थ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• धनार्थम्: for the sake of wealth
• धनार्थम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (धनस्य अर्थः/प्रयोजनम्)

• लोभ: by greed
• लोभ: Hetu/Karaṇa (हेतु/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (छन्दसि/प्रयोगे विभक्त्यन्तर-लोपः सम्भवः)

• मोहितः: deluded
• मोहितः: Karta (कर्ता) / Qualifier of सः
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √मुह् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• प्रचचार: wandered about
• प्रचचार: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+√चर् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• महीम्: the earth, land
• महीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एताम्: this
• एताम्: Karma (कर्म) / Qualifier of महीम्
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• सग्रामनगरांतराम्: with villages and towns in between
• सग्रामनगरांतराम्: Karma (कर्म) / Qualifier of महीम्
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + ग्राम + नगर + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष/बहुव्रीहि-सदृश प्रयोगः (ग्राम-नगर-अन्तरैः सह/युक्ताम् = with villages and towns in between)

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (narratorial voice within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsakṣetra (as point of departure)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devaśarmā leaves his household, carrying travel gear, moving through dusty roads between villages and towns; his face shows worry and fixation on gain.

Characters & Entities

• Devaśarmā (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Greed-driven pursuit of wealth, when it causes abandonment of one’s dharma, becomes the seed of suffering and later karmic downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra remains the narrative backdrop, though this verse focuses on the character’s departure into worldly wandering.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is stated; the verse highlights the ethical obligation to uphold gārhasthya-dharma rather than abandon it for greed.