Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

गूढाश्चरंति ये ज्ञानं व्रतं धर्ममथापि वा । स्वार्थैकागतनिष्ठास्तु बकास्ते साधका मताः

Transliteration

gūḍhāścaraṃti ye jñānaṃ vrataṃ dharmamathāpi vā | svārthaikāgataniṣṭhāstu bakāste sādhakā matāḥ

Translation

ଯେମାନେ ଜ୍ଞାନ, ବ୍ରତ କିମ୍ବା ଧର୍ମକୁ ଗୁପ୍ତଭାବେ ଆଚରଣ କରନ୍ତି, କିନ୍ତୁ ନିଷ୍ଠା କେବଳ ସ୍ୱାର୍ଥରେ ରଖନ୍ତି—ସେମାନେ ‘ବକ’ (ବଗୁଳା-ସଦୃଶ) ସାଧକ ବୋଲି ମନାଯାନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• gūḍhāḥ: hidden, secretive
• gūḍhāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gūḍha (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √guh/गुह् 'to conceal' + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle) used adjectivally

• caranti: they practice / they behave
• caranti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √car (चर्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ye: who (those who)
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• jñānam: knowledge
• jñānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• vratam: vow, observance
• vratam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• dharmam: dharma, righteousness
• dharmam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• atha: and then / also
• atha: Sambandha/Discourse marker (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अथ)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-निपात (particle)

• api: also, even
• api: Emphasis/Addition (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अपि)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• vā: or
• vā: Alternative marker (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (वा)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• svārthaikāgataniṣṭhāḥ: fixed in one-pointedness toward their own gain
• svārthaikāgataniṣṭhāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva-artha-eka-agata-niṣṭhā (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/निर्धारणार्थ समास: स्वार्थे एकागता (एकाग्रता) यस्याः सा/यस्य सः; here plural adjectival to 'bakāḥ'

• tu: but, indeed
• tu: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (तु)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषणार्थक निपात (contrastive particle)

• bakāḥ: herons (metaphorically: hypocrites)
• bakāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: baka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• te: those
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संकेतक सर्वनाम (demonstrative pronoun)

• sādhakāḥ: practitioners
• sādhakāḥ: Predicate nominative (विशेष्य-विशेषण/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• matāḥ: are considered
• matāḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: mata (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √man/मन् 'to think' + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त used predicatively (passive sense): 'are considered'

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A heron stands motionless at the water’s edge, eyes fixed on fish; beside it, an ascetic hides his intentions—outer calm, inner grasping—contrasted with a truly serene sage in the background.

Characters & Entities

• vrata
• dharma
• baka
• sādhaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer religiosity without inner integrity is cautioned against; self-interest can hollow out jñāna, vrata, and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra; the māhātmya uses the sacred setting to teach discernment about genuine and false practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vratānuṣṭhāna is referenced generally, but the verse primarily offers ethical evaluation rather than prescribing a rite.