Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

मया क्रियाविहीनेन भक्तिबाह्येन सत्तमाः । व्रतमेतत्समाचीर्णं तस्येदं सुमहत्फ लम्

Transliteration

mayā kriyāvihīnena bhaktibāhyena sattamāḥ | vratametatsamācīrṇaṃ tasyedaṃ sumahatpha lam

Translation

ഹേ സത്തമരേ, ക്രിയാവിഹീനനും ഭക്തിയില്ലാത്തവനുമായ എന്നാലും ഈ വ്രതം ആചരിക്കപ്പെട്ടു; അതിന്റെ ഫലം അത്യന്തം മഹത്തായതു ആയി.

Word by Word

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular of 1st person pronoun

• क्रिया-विहीनेन: by one devoid of ritual acts
• क्रिया-विहीनेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक) + विहीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; adjective agreeing with implied speaker (मया) in instrumental sense

• भक्ति-बाह्येन: by one outside devotion
• भक्ति-बाह्येन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + बाह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; adjective qualifying the agent (मया)

• सत्तमाः: O best ones
• सत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; vocative-like address in form of nominative plural (श्रेष्ठाः)

• व्रतम्: vow, observance
• व्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; object of implied statement about performance

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; demonstrative qualifying व्रतम्

• समाचीर्णम्: performed, duly observed
• समाचीर्णम्: Kriyavisheshana (Predicate qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-चर् (धातु) → समाचीर्ण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त/क्तवत्-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; past participle used predicatively with व्रतम्

• तस्य: of that (vow)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; genitive of reference

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun referring to फलम्

• सुमहत्-फलम्: a very great result
• सुमहत्-फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; compound meaning 'very-great fruit'

Speaker

Narrator/Īśvara (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sattamāḥ (noble ones), likely sages/brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The speaker, a king, stands before sages with folded hands, confessing his earlier lack of proper rites and devotion; behind him, a shrine silhouette indicates the liṅga; the sages listen compassionately.

Characters & Entities

• Vrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sacred vow connected to a powerful tīrtha and liṅga can bear immense fruit even when performed imperfectly—highlighting divine grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa kṣetra and its revered liṅga tradition described in the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of a vrata (vow/observance), referenced as the cause of the stated great result.