Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 164

Devanagari script

त्वं नाथ मोक्षिणां मोक्षो ध्येयस्त्वं ध्यायतां वरः । त्वं गतिः सर्वभूतानां कर्मकांडनिवर्तिनाम्

Transliteration

tvaṃ nātha mokṣiṇāṃ mokṣo dhyeyastvaṃ dhyāyatāṃ varaḥ | tvaṃ gatiḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ karmakāṃḍanivartinām

Translation

ข้าแต่พระนาถ พระองค์คือโมกษะของผู้แสวงหาโมกษะ; พระองค์คืออารมณ์ภาวนาสูงสุดของผู้เจริญสมาธิ และพระองค์คือที่พึ่งและจุดหมายของสรรพสัตว์ผู้ละจากพิธีกรรมเพียงเปลือกนอก

Word by Word

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नाथ: O Lord
• नाथ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मोक्षिणाम्: of the seekers of liberation / the liberated
• मोक्षिणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मोक्षः: liberation
• मोक्षः: Pradhana (Predicate nominal/प्रधाना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ध्येयः: worthy to be meditated on
• ध्येयः: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √ध्यै (धातु) + यत् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/भाव्य), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘to be meditated upon’

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ध्यायताम्: of those who meditate
• ध्यायताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: √ध्यै (धातु) + शतृ (प्रत्यय)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle) ‘ध्यायत्’; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वरः: the best
• वरः: Pradhana (Predicate nominal/प्रधाना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• गतिः: refuge, goal
• गतिः: Pradhana (Predicate nominal/प्रधाना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सर्व-भूतानाम्: of all beings
• सर्व-भूतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural); कर्मधारयः (सर्वाणि भूतानि)

• कर्म-काण्ड-निवर्तिनाम्: of those who desist from ritualism
• कर्म-काण्ड-निवर्तिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + काण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + निवर्तिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘of those who turn away from ritual section (karma-kāṇḍa)’

Speaker

A devotee/praiser within the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra / Somnātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin-devotee meditates before Somnātha; ritual implements lie aside, indicating transcendence of mere karmakāṇḍa; a path of light from the liṅga enters the heart-lotus, symbolizing mokṣa as the Lord.

Characters & Entities

• Mokṣa
• Dhyāna
• Karma-kāṇḍa
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is attained by taking the Lord as the ultimate refuge and meditation, beyond merely external ritual performance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, associated with both pilgrimage merit and the inward path of liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It points away from exclusive reliance on karma-kāṇḍa and toward dhyāna and surrender as the higher discipline.