Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

निषादा ऊचुः । संभाषो दर्शनं स्पर्शः कीर्तनं स्मरणं तथा । पावनानि किलैतानि साधूनामिति च श्रुतम्

Transliteration

niṣādā ūcuḥ | saṃbhāṣo darśanaṃ sparśaḥ kīrtanaṃ smaraṇaṃ tathā | pāvanāni kilaitāni sādhūnāmiti ca śrutam

Translation

พวกนิษาทะกล่าวว่า: “การสนทนา การได้เห็น การได้สัมผัส การสรรเสริญสาธยาย และการระลึกถึง—สิ่งเหล่านี้ล้วนเป็นเครื่องชำระให้บริสุทธิ์เกี่ยวกับบรรดาสาธุชน ดังที่เราได้ยินมา”

Word by Word

• निषादाः: the Niṣādas
• निषादाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निषाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम् (they said)

• संभाषः: conversation
• संभाषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संभाष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• दर्शनम्: seeing, audience
• दर्शनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• स्पर्शः: touch
• स्पर्शः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• कीर्तनम्: praise, chanting
• कीर्तनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीर्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• स्मरणम्: remembrance
• स्मरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• तथा: likewise, also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक/प्रकारार्थक-अव्ययम् (and likewise)

• पावनानि: purifying
• पावनानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (Neuter, Nominative, Plural); विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicate adjective)

• किल: indeed
• किल: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/श्रुत्यर्थक-अव्ययम् (indeed, as is said)

• एतानि: these
• एतानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (Neuter, Nominative, Plural)

• साधूनाम्: of the virtuous (saints)
• साधूनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक-अव्ययम् (quotative)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (and)

• श्रुतम्: is heard/has been heard
• श्रुतम्: Kriyā (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तं भूतकर्मणि/भूतकाले कृदन्तम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (heard; ‘it is heard/known’)

Speaker

Niṣādāḥ

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame, implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The Niṣādas speak with folded hands, enumerating purifying contacts with holy persons; Āpastamba listens, serene. The composition emphasizes five gestures: speaking, seeing, touching feet, singing praise, and inward remembrance.

Characters & Entities

• Niṣādāḥ
• Sādhavaḥ (holy persons)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Association with saints purifies—through direct contact, praise, and even remembrance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where saintly presence and dharmic instruction are portrayed as spiritually cleansing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practices of sādhu-saṅga: converse with, behold, respectfully touch/serve, praise, and remember the holy.