Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

तान्दृष्ट्वा व्रजतः स्वर्गं समत्स्यान्मत्स्यजीविनः । सामात्यभृत्यो नृपतिर्विस्मयादिदमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

tāndṛṣṭvā vrajataḥ svargaṃ samatsyānmatsyajīvinaḥ | sāmātyabhṛtyo nṛpatirvismayādidamabravīt

Translation

तान् मत्स्यजीविनो जनान् समत्स्यान् स्वर्गं व्रजन्तो दृष्ट्वा, स नृपतिः सामात्यभृत्यः विस्मयेन इदं वचनम् अब्रवीत्।

Word by Word

• tān: them
• tān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; कर्म (them)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriya (Gerundial/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dṛś (दृश् धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययीभावरूप कृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having seen)

• vrajataḥ: (as they were) going
• vrajataḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vraj (व्रज् धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन/बहुवचन-रूपसाम्ये सन्दर्भतः प्रथमा-द्विवचन-सम्बद्धं वर्तमानकाले ‘going’ इति; परन्तु रूपतः ‘व्रजतः’ = वर्तमानकृदन्त? (शतृ/शानच्) न; अत्र तिङन्त-रूपेण ग्रहणम्—‘they go’ (contextual)

• svargam: to heaven
• svargam: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; गन्तव्य (to heaven)

• sa-matsyān: together with fishes
• sa-matsyān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-matsya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; अव्ययीभाव-समासः ‘सह मत्स्यैः’ → ‘समत्स्य’ (together-with-fishes)

• matsya-jīvinaḥ: fish-livers, fishermen
• matsya-jīvinaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: matsya + jīvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘मत्स्यैः जीवति’/‘मत्स्यजीविनः’ (those who live by fish; fishermen)

• sa-āmātya-bhṛtyaḥ: with his ministers and servants
• sa-āmātya-bhṛtyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa + āmātya + bhṛtya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः ‘सह अमात्यैः भृत्यैः च’ → ‘सामात्यभृत्यः’ (accompanied by ministers and servants)

• nṛpatiḥ: the king
• nṛpatiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• vismayāt: from astonishment
• vismayāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vismaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (out of astonishment)

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्म (this)

• abravīt: said
• abravīt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (ब्रू धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Purāṇic framing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: On the shore of Prabhāsa, a king with ministers and attendants watches astonished as fisherfolk rise heavenward in a luminous ascent; fish accompany them, suggesting a miraculous, compassionate elevation tied to the tīrtha’s power.

Characters & Entities

• nṛpati (king)
• āmātya (ministers)
• bhṛtya (attendants)
• matsyajīvinaḥ (fisherfolk)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Witnessing the fruits of dharma at a tīrtha awakens faith and wonder, prompting inquiry into the power of holiness and virtue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where extraordinary dharmic outcomes are shown as visible and immediate.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse sets up the king’s praise of saintly service and tīrtha power.