Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच । एवमुक्त्वा नृपश्रेष्ठ मुद्गलः स्वर्गनिःस्पृहः । स्थितस्तत्रैव निरतः शिवध्यानपरायणः

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca | evamuktvā nṛpaśreṣṭha mudgalaḥ svarganiḥspṛhaḥ | sthitastatraiva nirataḥ śivadhyānaparāyaṇaḥ

Translation

ปุลัสตยะกล่าวว่า: ครั้นกล่าวดังนี้แล้ว โอ้พระราชาผู้ประเสริฐ มุทคละ—ผู้ไม่ใฝ่สวรรค์—ก็ยังคงอยู่ ณ ที่นั้นเอง มั่นคงแน่วแน่ และอุทิศตนทั้งสิ้นแก่ฌานภาวนาในพระศิวะ

Word by Word

• पुलस्त्यः: Pulastya
• पुलस्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive)

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप-श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नृपाणां श्रेष्ठः)

• मुद्गलः: Mudgala
• मुद्गलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्वर्गनिःस्पृहः: indifferent to heaven
• स्वर्गनिःस्पृहः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ग-निःस्पृह (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वर्गे निःस्पृहः = indifferent to heaven)

• स्थितः: stood / remained
• स्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश-अव्यय (adverb: there)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphasis)

• निरतः: engaged / devoted
• निरतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय; ‘engaged’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शिवध्यानपरायणः: wholly devoted to meditation on Shiva
• शिवध्यानपरायणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव-ध्यान-परायण (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य ध्यानं परायणं यस्य/शिवध्यानपरायणः = devoted to meditation on Śiva)

Speaker

Pulastya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpaśreṣṭha (a king; likely the frame-listener in this adhyāya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pulastya narrates to a king: Mudgala, indifferent to heaven, remains seated in unwavering Śiva-meditation; the world around is still, suggesting tapas and inner absorption.

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Mudgala
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True merit is not craving heaven but abiding in steadfast Śiva-meditation with dispassion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits in the Arbuda Khaṇḍa context (the Arbuda/Ābu sacred landscape), emphasizing the sanctity of the region through the sage’s Śaiva practice rather than naming a single tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite is prescribed here; the emphasis is on internal sādhana—Śiva-dhyāna (meditative worship).