Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

त्रिरात्रं पंचरात्रं वा सप्तरात्रं महेश्वर । पक्षं मासमृतुं वापि ह्ययनं यावदेव च । पुत्रदारयुतैस्तीर्थे वस्तव्यं गृहमेधिभिः

Transliteration

trirātraṃ paṃcarātraṃ vā saptarātraṃ maheśvara | pakṣaṃ māsamṛtuṃ vāpi hyayanaṃ yāvadeva ca | putradārayutaistīrthe vastavyaṃ gṛhamedhibhiḥ

Translation

ഹേ മഹേശ്വരാ! ഗൃഹസ്ഥർ പുത്ര-ദാരങ്ങളോടുകൂടെ തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ മൂന്ന് രാത്രികൾ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ അഞ്ച് രാത്രികൾ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ഏഴ് രാത്രികൾ; അല്ലെങ്കിൽ പകുതി മാസം, ഒരു മാസം, ഒരു ഋതു, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ പരമാവധി ഒരു അയനം വരെ മാത്രം താമസിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• त्रिरात्रम्: three nights
• त्रिरात्रम्: Kāla-adhikarana (Time extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + रात्र (प्रातिपदिक); त्रिरात्र (समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (संख्यापूर्वकः)

• पञ्चरात्रम्: five nights
• पञ्चरात्रम्: Kāla-adhikarana (Time extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + रात्र (प्रातिपदिक); पञ्चरात्र (समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः

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

• सप्तरात्रम्: seven nights
• सप्तरात्रम्: Kāla-adhikarana (Time extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त + रात्र (प्रातिपदिक); सप्तरात्र (समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः

• महेश्वर: O Maheśvara
• महेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• पक्षम्: a fortnight
• पक्षम्: Kāla-adhikarana (Time extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मासम्: a month
• मासम्: Kāla-adhikarana (Time extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ऋतुम्: a season
• ऋतुम्: Kāla-adhikarana (Time extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (particle: ‘also/even’)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• अयनम्: a half-year (ayana)
• अयनम्: Kāla-adhikarana (Time extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यावत्: as long as, up to
• यावत्: Parimana (Extent/परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/संबन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (correlative: ‘as long as/up to’)

• एव: only/just
• एव: Avadharana (Restriction/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (restrictive particle)

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

• पुत्रदारयुतैः: together with sons and wives
• पुत्रदारयुतैः: Karana/Sahakari (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुत्र + दार + युत (प्रातिपदिक); पुत्रदारयुत (समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; तृतीया-समर्थ्ये ‘युत’ (possessed/with) — ‘पुत्रैः दारैः च युताः’

• तीर्थे: at the sacred ford/place of pilgrimage
• तीर्थे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• वस्तव्यम्: should be stayed/resided
• वस्तव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्तव्यता-वाचक तव्यत् (Gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘should be stayed’ (impersonal)

• गृहमेधिभिः: by householders
• गृहमेधिभिः: Karta (Agent in impersonal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहमेधिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Viśvakarmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-tīrtha (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A family of pilgrims (parents with children) staying in simple dharmaśālā tents near the tīrtha, counting nights; sunrise snāna, temple darśana, evening lamps—time passing through marked intervals (3/5/7).

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Tīrtha
• Gṛhamedhin (householder)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage for householders is meant to be purposeful and time-bound, preserving reverence and preventing attachment or laxity in holy places.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where the Purāṇa outlines proper etiquette for visiting and staying.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A clear prescription of permissible durations for a householder’s stay at the tīrtha (from three nights up to an ayana).