Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

यथा क्षेत्रे निवसता वर्तितव्यं द्विजातिना । प्राजापत्यादिभेदेन तच्छृणु त्वं वरानने

Transliteration

yathā kṣetre nivasatā vartitavyaṃ dvijātinā | prājāpatyādibhedena tacchṛṇu tvaṃ varānane

Translation

அழகிய முகத்தையுடையவளே! இப்புனிதக் க்ஷேத்திரத்தில் வசிக்கும் இருபிறப்பினர் எவ்வாறு நடக்க வேண்டும் என்பதை, பிராஜாபத்ய முதலான வகைப்பாடுகளின்படி கேள்।

Word by Word

• यथा: as; how
• यथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमानवाचक (adverb: “as; in the manner that”)

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred place
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• निवसता: by one dwelling (there)
• निवसता: Karana (Instrumental of attendant circumstance/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-√वस् (कृदन्त; शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/न्त) “dwelling”; पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (qualifying dvijātinā)

• वर्तितव्यम्: should be practiced; must be conducted
• वर्तितव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्तितव्य (कृदन्त; √वृत्/√वर्त् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: “should be conducted/behaved”); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate)

• द्विजातिना: by a twice-born person
• द्विजातिना: Kartr (Agent in instrumental with gerundive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि-जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (द्विगु/कर्मधारयभाव: “twice-born”); पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्राजापत्यादिभेदेन: by the division starting with Prājāpatya
• प्राजापत्यादिभेदेन: Karana (Means/criterion/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राजापत्य-आदि-भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (प्राजापत्य + आदि + भेद; “classification beginning with prājāpatya”); पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रकारे (by way of classification)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थक (demonstrative)

• शृणु: hear; listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Addressee as subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुषार्थे (2nd person pronoun); प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वरानने: O fair-faced one
• वरानने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर-आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (“beautiful-faced”); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: varānanā (fair-faced lady)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher begins a structured exposition: ‘how a dvija should live in the kṣetra,’ introducing Prājāpatya and other classifications; the listener is respectfully seated, indicating a formal dharma-śravaṇa setting near the sacred coast.

Characters & Entities

• Dvijāti
• Prājāpatya
• Prabhāsakṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Residence in a holy place requires regulated conduct; dharma is taught as practical disciplines, not mere geography.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, framed as a sacred environment with specific living-rules for dvijātis.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An instruction to follow categorized disciplines (beginning with Prājāpatya) while living in the kṣetra.