Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्मृताः प्राणिनो ये कामतो वाप्यकामतः । कृमि कीटसमा वापि ते यांति परमां गतिम्

Transliteration

tasminmṛtāḥ prāṇino ye kāmato vāpyakāmataḥ | kṛmi kīṭasamā vāpi te yāṃti paramāṃ gatim

Translation

สรรพชีวิตใดตาย ณ ที่นั้น ไม่ว่าจะโดยตั้งใจหรือมิได้ตั้งใจ แม้จะเป็นดุจหนอนและแมลง ก็ย่อมไปสู่คติอันสูงสุด

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that (place)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; अधिकरणे (locative of place)

• मृताः: dead, having died
• मृताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृ (धातु) → मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (past participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम्; प्राणिनः इति विशेषणम्

• प्राणिनः: living beings
• प्राणिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम्

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (relative pronoun), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम्; प्राणिनः इति विशेषण-सम्बन्धः

• कामतः: willingly, by desire
• कामतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम् (indeclinable), तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb); हेतौ/प्रकारे (by desire/voluntarily)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; विकल्पार्थक-निपातः (disjunctive particle)

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थक-निपातः (also/even)

• अकामतः: unwillingly
• अकामतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अकाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम्, तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त; निषेधपूर्वकः (a-), हेतौ/प्रकारे (unwillingly/without desire)

• कृमि: a worm
• कृमि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; उपमान-निर्देशे (as a class/example)

• कीट-समाः: equal to insects, insect-like
• कीट-समाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीट (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (उपमान-तत्पुरुषः: कीटेन समाः), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम्; प्राणिनः इति विशेषणम्

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; विकल्पार्थक-निपातः

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थक-निपातः

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम्

• यान्ति: go, attain
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd), बहुवचनम्

• परमाम्: supreme
• परमाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; गतिम् इति विशेषणम्

• गतिम्: state, destination
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Narrative context (speaker not explicit in this verse; within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A compassionate vision: within the glowing kṣetra, even tiny insects are shown rising as sparks of light toward a serene, luminous summit; Śiva’s presence is felt as protective grace over all creatures.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The kṣetra’s sanctity is depicted as so potent that it can elevate even the lowest forms of life to the highest goal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, praised for granting the ‘supreme destination’ to those who die within it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No rite is prescribed; the verse states the salvific power (kṣetra-prabhāva) associated with dying there.