Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

अस्तेयः पूजयेन्मान्यान्गुरुं सेवेदमायया । अर्च्यो देवो न दम्भेन श्रियमिच्छेदकुत्सिताम्

Transliteration

asteyaḥ pūjayenmānyānguruṃ sevedamāyayā | arcyo devo na dambhena śriyamicchedakutsitām

Translation

Hendaklah dia bebas daripada mencuri; hendaklah dia memuliakan yang patut dimuliakan dan berkhidmat kepada guru tanpa tipu daya. Hendaklah dia menyembah Dewa tanpa kemunafikan, mengingini kemakmuran yang tidak hina.

Word by Word

• अस्तेयः: one who is non-stealing / honest
• अस्तेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस्तेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘अस्तेय’ (non-stealing)

• पूजयेत्: should worship/honour
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मान्यान्: the venerable persons
• मान्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• गुरुम्: the teacher
• गुरुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सेवेत: should serve
• सेवेत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अमायया: with sincerity / without deceit
• अमायया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘अमाया’ = without deceit

• अर्च्यः: worthy of worship
• अर्च्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्च्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘पूजनीयः’

• देवः: God / the deity
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• दम्भेन: with hypocrisy/ostentation
• दम्भेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• श्रियम्: prosperity/fortune
• श्रियम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• इच्छेत्: should desire
• इच्छेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अकुत्सिताम्: not blameworthy / untainted
• अकुत्सिताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अकुत्सिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘निन्दारहिताम्’

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic instruction within the narrative of Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-king offers flowers and water at a shrine with simple devotion; a guru sits nearby receiving humble service; a shadowy figure of hypocrisy (dambha) is shown outside the sanctum, barred from entry; coins are offered as clean dāna, not stolen wealth.

Characters & Entities

• Guru
• Deva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True merit comes from integrity—honesty, sincere service to the guru, and worship without show.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya within Prabhāsa, where inner purity is aligned with the sanctity of pilgrimage traditions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship (arcana) is implied—performed sincerely, without hypocrisy.