Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

तस्मात्प्रभासं संत्यज्य नान्यद्गच्छेत्तपोवनम् । प्रभासं ये न सेवंते मूढास्ते तमसा वृताः

Transliteration

tasmātprabhāsaṃ saṃtyajya nānyadgacchettapovanam | prabhāsaṃ ye na sevaṃte mūḍhāste tamasā vṛtāḥ

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് പ്രഭാസത്തെ ആശ്രയിച്ച് മറ്റൊരു തപോവനത്തിലേക്കു പോകരുത്. പ്രഭാസത്തെ സേവിക്കാത്തവർ മൂഢർ; അവർ അന്ധകാരത്തിൽ മൂടപ്പെട്ടവർ ആകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इति हेत्वर्थक-अव्ययप्रयोगः (ablatival adverb: therefore/from that)

• प्रभासम्: Prabhāsa
• प्रभासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्

• संत्यज्य: having abandoned
• संत्यज्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-त्यज् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त-अव्ययम् (gerund/absolutive): ‘having abandoned’

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपातः (negation)

• अन्यत्: anything else
• अन्यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• तपोवनम्: forest of austerities (hermitage)
• तपोवनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्-वन (प्रातिपदिक); तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्; ‘तपसः वनम्’

• प्रभासम्: Prabhāsa
• प्रभासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), बहुवचनम्; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपातः (negation)

• सेवन्ते: serve/worship
• सेवन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• मूढाः: deluded
• मूढाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), बहुवचनम्; ‘ये’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), बहुवचनम्; संकेत/अन्वयार्थः (correlative: those)

• तमसा: by darkness/ignorance
• तमसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचनम्

• वृताः: covered/enveloped
• वृताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (past passive participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), बहुवचनम्; ‘आवृताः’ अर्थे

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim stands at the luminous shore of Prabhāsa, turning away from distant forests of austerity; the kṣetra radiates light while a shadowy veil of tamas recedes behind those who neglect it.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa Kṣetra
• Tapovana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True discernment recognizes Prabhāsa’s supreme sanctity; neglecting it is equated with spiritual ignorance (tamas).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, treated as the foremost tapovana and object of sevā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prabhāsa-sevā and steadfast residence/commitment—do not depart seeking other tapovanas.