Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

कदाचिन्मृगयासक्तो बभ्राम स च वीर्यवान् । प्रभास क्षेत्रमागात्य पूर्वसंस्कारभावितः

Transliteration

kadācinmṛgayāsakto babhrāma sa ca vīryavān | prabhāsa kṣetramāgātya pūrvasaṃskārabhāvitaḥ

Translation

ครั้งหนึ่งเมื่อหลงใหลการล่าสัตว์ ชายผู้กล้าหาญนั้นเที่ยวพเนจรไป และด้วยแรงแห่งสังสการเดิม จึงถูกชักนำให้มาถึงกษेत्रอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์แห่งประภาสะ

Word by Word

• कदाचित्: once/sometime
• कदाचित्: Kriyavisheshana (Temporal modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb)

• मृगया: by/with hunting
• मृगया: Hetu (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• आसक्तः: attached/engrossed
• आसक्तः: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√सञ्ज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• बभ्राम: wandered/roamed
• बभ्राम: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• वीर्यवान्: powerful/valiant
• वीर्यवान्: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वीर्यवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• प्रभास: Prabhāsa
• प्रभास: Karma (Object; with kṣetram)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; (कर्मधारय-भावेन) क्षेत्रस्य विशेषणम्

• क्षेत्रम्: the sacred field/region
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• आगात्य: having come
• आगात्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-√गम् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त-अव्ययकृदन्तः (absolutive/gerund)

• पूर्वसंस्कारभावितः: influenced by former impressions
• पूर्वसंस्कारभावितः: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व-संस्कार-भावित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (√भू/√भाव् + णिच्? भावित), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (पूर्वसंस्कारैः भावितः = influenced by prior impressions)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A powerful hunter-king roaming with bow and retinue suddenly arrives at the luminous sacred field of Prabhāsa, as if guided by unseen past impressions; the landscape shifts from wild chase to holy shoreline/temple aura.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Past merits and spiritual impressions can guide even distracted lives toward sacred places where transformation becomes possible.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra itself—the famed tīrtha-region associated with Somnātha and Śiva’s presence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse frames the pilgrim-arrival to Prabhāsa as the key spiritual turning point.