Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

कथं स पूज्यो देवेश यात्रा कार्या कथं नृभिः । एतद्विस्तरतो ब्रूहि प्रसन्नो यदि मे प्रभो

Transliteration

kathaṃ sa pūjyo deveśa yātrā kāryā kathaṃ nṛbhiḥ | etadvistarato brūhi prasanno yadi me prabho

Translation

Wahai Tuhan para dewa, bagaimanakah Baginda harus dipuja, dan bagaimana manusia harus menunaikan ziarah suci? Jika Engkau berkenan kepadaku, wahai Tuhanku, jelaskanlah dengan terperinci.

Word by Word

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• पूज्यः: to be worshipped, worthy of worship
• पूज्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: भाव्य/अर्हार्थक कृदन्त (यत्/ण्यत्-प्रत्ययार्थ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण

• देवेश: O Lord of gods
• देवेश: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (देवानाम् ईशः)

• यात्रा: pilgrimage, procession
• यात्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• कार्या: to be done, should be performed
• कार्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: भाव्य/विधेय कृदन्त (यत्), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; ‘यात्रा’ इत्यस्य विधेयविशेषणम्

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय

• नृभिः: by men, by people
• नृभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• विस्तरतः: in detail
• विस्तरतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverbial: ‘in detail’)

• ब्रूहि: tell (me)
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• प्रसन्नः: pleased, gracious
• प्रसन्नः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; ‘त्वम्’ (implicit) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• यदि: if
• यदि: Hetu/Condition (Condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional conjunction)

• मे: my, to me
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case) एकवचन (enclitic)

• प्रभो: O Lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī, with folded hands, asks Īśvara the detailed method of worship and the proper way to undertake the Prabhāsa pilgrimage; a sacred coastal tīrtha atmosphere implied.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Deveśa (Śiva)
• Pitāmaha (Brahmā) (implied)
• Yātrā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right practice matters: pilgrimage gains full power when joined with correct worship and informed observance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra is the setting, with focus turning to the worship of Pitāmaha (Brahmā) there.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request for pūjā-vidhi and yātrā-vidhi (how to worship and how to perform the pilgrimage), to be explained in subsequent verses.