Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 112

Devanagari script

तीर्थव्रतानि सेवन्ते प्रत्ययो नैव जायते । मोहितं तु जगत्पूर्वं मिथ्याज्ञानेन शंकर

Transliteration

tīrthavratāni sevante pratyayo naiva jāyate | mohitaṃ tu jagatpūrvaṃ mithyājñānena śaṃkara

Translation

ସେମାନେ ତୀର୍ଥବ୍ରତ ସେବନ କରନ୍ତି, କିନ୍ତୁ ସତ୍ୟ ପ୍ରତ୍ୟୟ ଜନ୍ମେ ନାହିଁ। ହେ ଶଙ୍କର, ପୂର୍ବେ ଜଗତ ମିଥ୍ୟାଜ୍ଞାନରେ ମୋହିତ ହୋଇଥିଲା।

Word by Word

• तीर्थव्रतानि: pilgrimages and vows
• तीर्थव्रतानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ-व्रत (प्रातिपदिक; तीर्थ + व्रत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (copulative)

• सेवन्ते: they practice/serve
• सेवन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• प्रत्ययः: conviction/faith
• प्रत्ययः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रत्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• जायते: arises/is born
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मोहितम्: deluded
• मोहितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोहित (कृदन्त; मुह् धातु + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक अव्यय (contrastive particle)

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: formerly/previously
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावप्रयोग)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• मिथ्याज्ञानेन: by false knowledge
• मिथ्याज्ञानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मिथ्या-ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक; मिथ्या + ज्ञान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमास

• शंकर: O Śaṅkara
• शंकर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Pārvatī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva (Śaṃkara)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pārvatī notes that people undertake pilgrimages and vows but lack inner conviction; she attributes the world’s earlier delusion to false knowledge, addressing Śaṃkara for clarification.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Śaṃkara (Śiva)
• Tīrtha
• Vrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External observances without right understanding and faith do not generate transformative certainty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the māhātmya context, while the verse comments broadly on tīrtha-sevā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It mentions tīrtha-vrata practice but warns that it is ineffective when driven by delusion and false knowledge.