Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

हरिणश्चाथ वज्रश्च न्यंकुः कपिल एव च । तपस्तप्यंति तत्रस्थाः स्वाध्यायासक्तमानसाः

Transliteration

hariṇaścātha vajraśca nyaṃkuḥ kapila eva ca | tapastapyaṃti tatrasthāḥ svādhyāyāsaktamānasāḥ

Translation

ഹരിണൻ, വജ്രൻ, ന്യങ്കു, കപിലൻ—അവിടെ വസിച്ച്—തപസ്സു അനുഷ്ഠിച്ചു; അവരുടെ മനസ്സുകൾ സ്വാധ്യായത്തിൽ (വേദപാരായണത്തിൽ) ആസക്തമായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• हरिणः: Hariṇa (a sage)
• हरिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (ऋषि-नाम)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अथ: then/also
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरबोधक अव्यय (sequencing particle)

• वज्रः: Vajra (a sage)
• वज्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (ऋषि-नाम)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• न्यङ्कुः: Nyaṅku (a sage)
• न्यङ्कुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्यङ्कु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (ऋषि-नाम)

• कपिलः: Kapila (a sage)
• कपिलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (ऋषि-नाम)

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मरूपे

• तप्यन्ति: they practice/perform (austerity)
• तप्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• तत्रस्थाः: staying there
• तत्रस्थाः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying the sages)

• स्वाध्यायासक्तमानसाः: whose minds are attached to self-study
• स्वाध्यायासक्तमानसाः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वाध्याय + आसक्त + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुपद-समास; विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced for Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The four sages—Hariṇa, Vajra, Nyaṅku, and Kapila—sit in a simple āśrama clearing near Prabhāsa, each with a palm-leaf manuscript or prayer beads, a small sacred fire between them; their lips move in steady svādhyāya as the sea breeze passes through nearby trees.

Characters & Entities

• Hariṇa
• Vajra
• Nyaṅku
• Kapila
• Svādhyāya
• Tapas
• Prabhāsa Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The ideal use of a tīrtha is disciplined practice—tapas and svādhyāya—through which the place’s sanctity becomes lived dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra as a seat for austerity and Vedic recitation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Svādhyāya (scriptural recitation/study) and tapas (austerity) are highlighted as the sages’ core observances.