Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 189

Devanagari script

यत्र देवाः सप्रभावास्तीर्थानि विमलानि च । तत्र गच्छ महाराज तीर्थयात्रां कुरु प्रभो

Transliteration

yatra devāḥ saprabhāvāstīrthāni vimalāni ca | tatra gaccha mahārāja tīrthayātrāṃ kuru prabho

Translation

“ഹേ മഹാരാജാവേ, ദേവന്മാർ തങ്ങളുടെ പ്രഭാവത്തോടെ പ്രത്യക്ഷമാകുന്നിടത്തും തീർത്ഥങ്ങൾ നിർമ്മലമായിടത്തും പോകുക; ഹേ പ്രഭോ, തീർത്ഥയാത്ര ചെയ്യുക।”

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• सप्रभावाः: with (great) power/splendour
• सप्रभावाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक; components: स + प्रभाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• तीर्थानि: holy places
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• विमलानि: pure
• विमलानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

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

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: there)

• गच्छ: go
• गच्छ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-राजन् (प्रातिपदिक; components: महा + राजन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• तीर्थयात्राम्: pilgrimage journey
• तीर्थयात्राम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ-यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक; components: तीर्थ + यात्रा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• कुरु: do, undertake
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vimala-tīrthāni (pure tīrthas) within Prabhāsa ambit

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary panorama of pure tīrthas: shining waters, devas subtly visible in the air, sages performing rites, and the king setting out with determination—Nārada guiding like a celestial signpost.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• devāḥ (gods)
• tīrtha
• rājā (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrthas are those charged with divine potency and purity; pilgrimage to them is a sanctifying dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse glorifies tīrthas in general as ‘vimalāni’ and ‘saprabhāvāḥ’ rather than naming one site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertake tīrtha-yātrā (a pilgrimage to sacred sites).