Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

देशस्त्रैशं कवोनाम वर्जितः श्राद्धकर्मणि । कारस्काराः कलिंगाश्च सिंधोरुत्तरमेव च । प्रणष्टाश्रमधर्माश्च वर्ज्या देशाः प्रयत्नतः

Transliteration

deśastraiśaṃ kavonāma varjitaḥ śrāddhakarmaṇi | kāraskārāḥ kaliṃgāśca siṃdhoruttarameva ca | praṇaṣṭāśramadharmāśca varjyā deśāḥ prayatnataḥ

Translation

‘ତ୍ରୈଶଙ୍କବ’ ନାମକ ଦେଶ ଶ୍ରାଦ୍ଧକର୍ମରେ ବର୍ଜ୍ୟ। ଏହିପରି କାରସ୍କାର, କଲିଙ୍ଗ, ସିନ୍ଧୁର ଉତ୍ତର ଅଞ୍ଚଳ; ଏବଂ ଯେଉଁଠି ଆଶ୍ରମଧର୍ମ ନଷ୍ଟ—ସେସବୁ ଦେଶକୁ ଯତ୍ନରେ ପରିହାର କରିବା ଉଚିତ।

Word by Word

• deśaḥ: a region/country
• deśaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• traiśam: (named) Traiśa
• traiśam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: traiśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (deśaḥ इत्यस्य नामरूपेण)

• kavau: in/among the Kavi (people/region)
• kavau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kavi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• nāma: by name
• nāma: Sambandha/Specifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामनिर्देशक (particle: ‘by name’)

• varjitaḥ: to be avoided/forbidden
• varjitaḥ: Vidhyartha-Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vṛj/varj (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘त्याज्यः/वर्जनीयः’

• śrāddha-karmaṇi: in the rite of śrāddha
• śrāddha-karmaṇi: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (श्राद्धस्य कर्म)

• kāraskārāḥ: the Kāraskāras (people)
• kāraskārāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraskāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• kaliṃgāḥ: the Kaliṅgas
• kaliṃgāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaliṃga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• siṃdhoḥ: of the Sindhu (river/region)
• siṃdhoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siṃdhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• uttaram: northern (part)
• uttaram: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; दिशावाचक-विशेषण

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• praṇaṣṭa-āśrama-dharmāḥ: whose āśrama-duties are lost
• praṇaṣṭa-āśrama-dharmāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praṇaṣṭa (कृदन्त, √naś + pra + kta) + āśrama (प्रातिपदिक) + dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः: (आश्रमधर्माः) येषां प्रणष्टाः

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• varjyāḥ: to be avoided
• varjyāḥ: Vidhyartha-Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √vṛj/varj (धातु) + ya (णीयत्/यत् भाव)
• Form: विध्यर्थक कृदन्त (वर्ज्य = to be avoided); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• deśāḥ: regions/countries
• deśāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• prayatnataḥ: carefully/with effort
• prayatnataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prayatna (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तसिल्)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिलन्त-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘with effort’)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (as the implied recommended alternative)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim caravan consults a sage; behind them are signposts naming regions (Traiśaṃkava, Kaliṅga, Sindhu-uttara). The sage gestures toward a bright path leading to a dhārmika tīrtha, while the avoided regions appear dim with broken hermitages symbolizing ‘pranaṣṭāśrama-dharma’.

Characters & Entities

• Traiśaṃkava
• Kāraskāra
• Kaliṅga
• Sindhu (Indus)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual efficacy is linked to dhārmic order; where āśrama-dharma collapses, rites like Śrāddha are discouraged.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya, framing Prabhāsa as a dhārmically suitable sphere in contrast to prohibited regions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid Śrāddha in Traiśaṃkava and other specified regions, and generally where āśrama-dharma is lost.